Fire Alone
by xXxRavenXDameonxXx
Summary: When Bluefur joins RiverClan, the destiny of the forest is changed forever. But maybe it wasn't for the worse. Maybe, despite Thistelclaw's blood-filled path and the warning that Water would destroy her, Bluefur made the right choice. Maybe she wasn't fire after all; maybe it was one of her kits. This is the story of Bluefur joining Oakheart, and the chaos that follows.
1. Chapter 1

_My Clan needs me…_ Bluestar repeated the words over and over in her head, but Oakheart's clear, unwavering gaze made them seem more and more feeble.

"I need you, too," he insisted softly, his eyes glazed with pain.

"No," Bluefur shook her head, taking a step back from the reddish brown warrior. "You don't."

"Yes," Oakheart matched her step back with two steps forward. "I do, and so do our kits. Bluefur can't you see? I love you. I could be made the leader of RiverClan tomorrow and it wouldn't mean anything without you there beside me."

"But…"

"But what?" The RiverClan warrior pushed his muzzle against hers. "Bluefur," he breathed softly. "You've lived the way you've been told for so long. You trained hard as an apprentice, you raised your sister's kit… It's time that you made a decision for _yourself_."

"You mean for you." Bluefur muttered bitterly.

Oakheart shook his head, his whiskers twitching in slight amusement. "No, Bluefur. I mean for _you_. If you can look me in the eye right now and tell me that you don't want to be with me, then I'll respect that. But I know that you can't. I would give up anything for you—and for our kits."

Goosefeather's prophecy suddenly seemed less important as she gazed into Oakheart's eyes. _If water will destroy me, then why does Oakheart make me feel this way?_

"I…" Her words failed her, the blue-gray queen's mind whirling. _If I join RiverClan, I'll never have to think about that prophecy again…_ Her mind flickered to Thistleclaw, but a small stirring in her stomach instantly pushed the thought away.

"Bluefur," Oakheart's voice was more urgent. "Crookedstar will be sending a patrol." He rasped his tongue across her ear. "Please," he added softly.

"I… Oakheart…" _He's right… My kits need me… And they need him. I need him._ "When?" She exhaled quietly, searching his eyes. "Will Crookedstar accept me?"

The RiverClan warrior looked as if he could climb all of the trees in the forest. "Of course!" He insisted. "I'm his brother—and these kits will be his kin. It will be leaf-bare soon, and RiverClan's nursery is nearly empty. He can't say no to having more apprentice's when new-leaf comes. And he certainly can't say no to having more warriors."

"Okay," Bluefur was suddenly breathless. The forest was spinning beneath her paws. _I'm joining RiverClan!_

Oakheart pressed against her, a purr rumbling throughout his entire body. "You won't regret this, Bluefur. I promise you won't."

Bluefur inhaled his scent, leaning against him and drawing strength from his warmth. "When will you tell Crookedstar?"

"Tonight," he meowed strongly. "I'll tell him that I need to talk to him, and ask if he'll come with me on patrol."

"Tonight?" Bluefur's voice cracked as if she were a kit in the nursery again.

"Yes," Oakheart gave her a serious look. "It's no secret that prey isn't running well for ThunderClan. The sooner you come to RiverClan the better. You're far too thin to support kits right now, Bluefur."

As much as she hated to admit such a weakness to a RiverClan warrior, she knew he was right. It hadn't even snowed yet, and already ThunderClan was growing thin and weary. There wasn't enough prey to go around, and what they managed to scrape up on patrol went to the elders and White-eye first. Oakheart, however, looked strong and well-fed, and his pelt was glossy.

"You're right…" She murmured, bowing her head. _I hardly have any time to say goodbye!_ She wanted to wail. But she knew that saying goodbye would only stir up trouble. She needed to leave as quietly as she could, telling as few cats as possible. _But I have to tell Sunstar, at least…_ "I'll be here tonight," she finally mewed, pressing closer to her mate.

"Good," he licked her ear, then gave her a nudge. "Go on. You need to get some rest. It's not a short journey from your camp to RiverClan's, and you'll need all of your strength."

The blue-furred queen nodded, brushing against Oakheart as she moved up the hill towards ThunderClan's camp. "And Oakheart?" She glanced back of her shoulder, warmth filling her from her ears to her tail-tip when their eyes met again. "I love you, too." With that, she turned and vanished into the undergrowth, her heart singing. She had known it for a long time, but admitting it had been something she couldn't bring herself to do. Now it felt as if a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and the image of Oakheart's joy as she uttered the words was burned into her mind.

Despite the energy the talk with Oakheart had given her, Bluefur was exhausted when she made it back to camp. Her eyes fell on the fresh-kill pile as her stomach growled, but she forced the hunger from her mind. _You can't take prey from the pile now—not when you're betraying them like this…_ She ducked her head and pushed her way into the warriors' den, relieved to see that it was mostly empty. Only Tawnyspots was there, sleeping fitfully in his nest towards the center of the den. Bluefur curled in her own nest, quickly falling asleep in the soft moss, thoughts of Oakheart lulling her into the sweetest dreams she had ever had.

When Bluefur woke again, the muted light of dusk filtered through the gaps in the den's roof. _Oakheart!_ She scrambled to her paws, her heart racing frantically until she forced her way out of the den. _It's not dark yet…_ She sighed, sitting down heavily and beginning to groom her ruffled pelt.

"Still sleeping in the warriors' den?" Rosetail joined her with an amused gleam in her eyes.

 _Oh, Rosetail… if only I could tell you where I'd be sleeping from now on…_

"Is Sunstar in camp?" Bluefur knew her change of subject wasn't very tactful, but it seemed to work as Rosetail nodded and flicked her tail towards his den. Bluefur gave her a nod before brushing past her, lingering slightly as their pelts mingled. _I'm going to miss you, Rosetail…_

"Sunstar?" Bluefur shifted her weight awkwardly from one paw to the other as she waited outside the screen of lichen.

"Ah, Bluefur, come in."

She pushed her way through, moving towards the center of the warm den and sitting before her leader and former mentor.

Sunstar lie comfortably in his nest, his eyes warm and curious. "I have a feeling that I know what you're going to tell me," he purred warmly.

 _Does he know?!_ She forced the panic from her voice as she mewed shakily, "O-Oh?"

"It's becoming obvious that you're expecting kits, Bluefur," Sunstar rumbled, sounding as proud as if he were the father. "I was hoping you would soon follow in my pawsteps, but it seems that StarClan has laid out another path for you."

 _The wrong path!_ Bluefur cried silently. "I… I am expecting kits," she bowed her head, guilt making her fur prickle. "But Sunstar, I have to tell you… I'm… leaving ThunderClan."

Her leader's eyes stretched wide. "Bluefur, what's going on? This isn't like you at all. Has something happened?"

"Yes," she whispered, unsheathing her claws and sinking them into the sandy floor of the den, trying to stop herself from swaying. "I broke… I broke the warrior code, Sunstar. I took a mate from RiverClan. I d-don't want my kits to grow up without a father, or to be ashamed of their parents, so I… I'm leaving tonight… And joining RiverClan." She did her best to square her shoulders and sound strong, but she couldn't bring herself to look her leader in the eye. _He must furious… He's probably going to drive me out now…_ The queen was surprised when her leader padded silently over to her and rested his nose on the top of her head.

"ThunderClan will miss you, Bluefur."

"You're not mad?" The she-cat's gaze jumped up to meet his. In his eyes he saw only sadness.

"Every cat makes mistakes," he rumbled. "I'm disappointed in you for breaking the warrior code, as any mentor should be. But as the warrior code states, kits are the future of the Clans, and must always be put first. They would be cherished in ThunderClan, and thrive, but the Clan would never be able to know their father—and neither would they. You've always been strong, Bluefur, and making this sacrifice for the good of your kits… It may be the strongest thing I've seen you do yet. RiverClan doesn't know how lucky they are." He paused for a moment. "You shouldn't tell anyone else," he warned her quietly. "There are those that would take the news… poorly."

Bluefur nodded. "I… I should be going now." She hesitated. "I'll miss you, Sunstar. And I'll… I'll miss ThunderClan. But I know this is the only way for my kits to be happy."

Sunstar bowed his head. "We won't forget you, Bluefur. We shall mourn your loss as we mourn the death of the noblest of warriors."

The blue-gray she-cat hesitated. _I can't do this!_ But Oakheart's eyes, bright and full of love, pushed her feet forward. She padded slowly out the Sunstar's den, and then out of the gorse tunnel. When she reached the top of the ravine, panting, she didn't look back. _I must only move forward. Oakheart is waiting for me._ She stumbled through ThunderClan's territory as the moon began to rise, relieved when she finally saw Sunningrocks looming ahead. Something twisted in her stomach, and a tired purr rose in her throat. _We're almost there, little ones._ She padded carefully over the smooth stones and down the slope to the river, where she ducked her head and lapped at the ice cold water. A gruff meow snapped her focus to the other side of the river, where the reeds were rustling.

"I thought you wanted to talk, Oakheart. We've been on the ThunderClan border since the sun set."

As she watched, Oakheart emerged, his red fur glowing in the moonlight. His eyes lit up as he saw her crouched there. "Bluefur," he called. "Come across the stepping stones." He waved his tail towards the rocks just upstream, and Bluefur gave him a small nod. _This is it._

"Did you say Bluefur?" Crookedstar appeared as she padded up the bank towards the stepping stones. His hackles bristled. "Why have you invited her onto RiverClan territory, Oakheart?"

Instead of answering, Oakheart thrust into the frosty river, swimming quickly to Bluefur's side. "I'll follow you across," he mewed quietly, his voice layered with concern. "That way if you slip I can catch you."

As much as she wanted to cuff him over the ears for treating her like a kit, the kits stirring in her own belly reminded her that he was as concerned for their safety as she was. Without answering, she jumped to the first step. It was harder than she thought to balance on the smooth rock, her rounding belly making each jump awkward. But she could feel Oakheart's breath on her tail, stopping suddenly when she would wobble, then huffing out in a relieved sigh when she would regain her balance, and his concern drove her forward.

Crookedstar greeted them on the other side with a lashing tail, his pale green eyes blazing. "Explain yourself, Oakheart."

Bluefur crouched low to the ground beside her mate, unaccustomed to this version of the cat she had met so many moons ago at a Gathering. Oakheart, however, didn't seem phased, standing tall and unwavering under his brother's furious gaze.

"Bluefur has come to join RiverClan."

For a moment, Crookedstar's anger faltered, surprise breaking through as he turned an incredulous look to the ThunderClan warrior. "What?"

Oakheart nodded a small confirmation, his tail resting against her flank. "She is expecting my kits."

"You took a mate from ThunderClan?" The large tabby hissed.

Oakheart didn't flinch. "Yes. And I nearly left RiverClan to be with her in ThunderClan, but she wouldn't let me give up on my dream of becoming your deputy, Crookedstar."

"So you told her she could come to RiverClan," Crookedstar looked as if he wanted to rake his claws over his brother's ears. "And what do you have to say about this, Bluefur?"

Oakheart pressed against her, sharing his strength as she squared her shoulders and looked into Crookedstar's eyes. "Nothing that Oakheart hasn't already told you. I don't want my kits to grow up without their father. I will do everything you ask of me within the warrior code to prove I will be a loyal warrior of RiverClan, even if it means becoming an apprentice again once my kits have reached their sixth moon."

"Kits that will be your kin," Oakheart pointed out, his tail beginning to flick as Crookedstar hesitated.

"I will not make you an apprentice again," he finally sighed. "But you will have to be trained once your kits have been apprenticed." He turned his gaze to Oakheart. "As for you. You will be in charge of caring for her, and the kits once they're born. You will hunt for the Clan, and for her, and not take a morsel for yourself until you have. Is that understood?"

Oakheart's eyes sparked with excitement. "Yes, Crookedstar."

The great tabby sighed. "I'll announce it to the Clan at dawn."

With that, he turned and padded away, leaving Bluefur to release the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. A purr erupted from Oakheart's chest, and he wrapped himself around the queen.

"Oh, Bluefur," he rumbled, bathing her ears in licks. "I can't believe we can finally be together."

A purr of her own broke from Bluefur's throat as her mate showered her in affection. "I can't, either."

"Have you eaten anything today?" He suddenly asked. Bluefur shuffled her paws, and the RiverClan warrior rolled his eyes. "I'll be right back."

He padded down to the river, sitting still and silent for a number of heartbeats. Suddenly, his paws flashed out, and fish came flying out of the water, landing on the bank where it flopped feebly for a moment until Oakheart stilled it with a killing blow. He picked it up and carried it to her.

"Here," he deposited it at her paws. His whiskers twitched when she wrinkled her nose. "You'll get used to it," he murmured, sweeping his tail down her side. "There's a lot of nutrients in it, and it tastes great, too."

 _You're a RiverClan cat now, Bluefur._ She reminded herself and she crouched down to eat. _And you haven't eaten anything all day. Your kits need this._ She was surprised when she bit into the fresh-kill, fresh, vivid flavors washing over her tongue. _It's actually… kind of good._ The first bite made her stomach growl loudly, and the queen finished the rest in a few hungry gulps.

"See?" Oakheart teased. "That wasn't so bad."

Bluefur rolled her eyes, ready to make a sarcastic comment when a yawn suddenly slipped through her jaws. Oakheart purred sympathetically.

"Come on," he gave her a gentle nudge. "We'll make a nest just outside of camp for now, that way you won't have to answer any questions until morning." Bluefur nodded drowsily. Oakehart offered his shoulder, supporting his drowsy mate as he led the blue-gray queen through unfamiliar territory. The splashed through the shallows around the camp, before settling in the reeds. The reddish brown warrior vanished for a moment, before coming back with some fresh moss.

"Here," he offered, flattening some reeds with his wide paws and dropping the moss in the make-shift nest. "It's not as comfortable as your nest in the nursery will be, but it's better than nothing."

"It's perfect," Bluefur mumbled appreciatively. She circled the nest a few times before curling up, a sleepy purr rising from her chest as Oakheart curled around her.

"Just wait," he meowed quietly as he rasped his tongue gently and rhythmically across her shoulder. The soothing motion lulled her closer and closer to sleep. "Our kits are going to be the best warriors RiverClan has ever seen. Everything is going to be okay, now that you're here, Bluefur. Everything is going to be okay."

 **A/N: I received a request to do an Oakheart X Bluefur fic a while ago, and after rereading Bluestar's Prophecy I decided that it was about time I got to it. I'm trying to decide if I want to leave the kits' names as they were in the original series (Stonekit, Mistykit, and Mosskit) or if I should change it up a little, for the sake of being different. Also, I was wondering if Crookedstar should change Bluefur's warrior name? Meh, I'm not sure. Anyways, thanks for reading! Drop a review if you've got any suggestions for kits/names/etc!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all soo so much for following, favoriting, and _especially_ for reviewing! Your reviews have made me think a lot, and its always kind of bothered me that not a single one of Bluefur's kits looked very much like Oakheart. (Excuse me, Bluefur could tell when he was a day old that Stonekit had his father's head. But you know what I mean!) SO now I've got to ask. Would it be completely terrible to give Bluefur a litter of 4, instead of 3? Or would it be better to alter one of the three's appearance? Any and all input is welcome! And if she does have a litter of 4, what should the fourth kit be called?**

 **Thanks again for reading! Enjoy!**

A gentle nudge roused Bluefur the next morning, and the blue-furred queen blinked groggily up at her mate, momentarily bewildered by her surroundings.

"It's time to get up," Oakheart whispered quietly. "Crookedstar will call the meeting soon."

Everything came back to her in a rush—the kits she was expecting, seeking out Oakheart to tell him, agreeing to join RiverClan to be with him and raise their kits. She ducked her head, suddenly overwhelmed with sorrow. _I'll never wake up in the warriors' den again…_

"Bluefur?" Oakheart touched his nose to the tip of her ear. "It'll be okay," he cooed.

"I know," she finally sighed, pulling herself onto her paws and shaking the loose moss from her pelt. It suddenly occurred to her that this was her chance to make a good first impression on her new Clan. _I can't mess this up._ She began grooming, careful not to leave a single strand of fur standing on end. "How do I look?" She finally asked, looking up at Oakheart. For his part, the reddish brown warrior looked radiant in the weak leaf-bare sun, his thick fur glossy and his eyes bright and clear.

His whiskers twitched. "Like you're expecting kits."

Bluefur swatted playfully at him, and he gave her a lick on the cheek. "You look fine, Bluefur. A little thin, but we'll right that soon enough. Now come on, I can hear Crookedstar's summons."

Bluefur could feel her heart stuttering in her chest as she followed Oakheart through the entrance of RiverClan's camp. Already, cats were turning their eyes to her; some were curious, but most were hostile. Oakheart didn't waver from her side though, meowing bright greetings to his Clanmates as he lead Bluefur to front of the gathered Clan. Crookedstar looked down at them from atop the roots of a great willow tree. She could see an opening in the roots, and assumed that to be the leader's den.

"RiverClan," the large tabby called their attention. "I've called this meeting to announce that we will be welcoming Bluefur into our Clan."

Startled hisses rippled through the Clan, but Crookedstar silenced them with a hard stare. "She is expecting Oakheart's kits, and will move into the nursery today."

"Why should we accept her and her half-Clan kits?" A silver and black warrior that Bluefur recognized as Rippleclaw raised his voice in a furious yowl.

"She's joining RiverClan," Oakheart growled. "They will not be half-Clan."

"And what about Oakheart?" Ottersplash, a ginger and white she-cat Bluefur had seen in the battles over Sunningrocks, spat. "He broke the warrior code!"

Crookedstar bowed his head. "I am aware. But Bluefur was one of ThunderClan's strongest warriors, it would be foolish enough to turn her away as it is. But she is also bearing kits—RiverClan kits. Kits that will grow to be strong apprentices come new-leaf, and then stronger warriors that will help RiverClan grow. As for Oakheart, he will not be allowed to attend Gatherings until his kits are made apprentices, and he alone will be charged with hunting for Bluefur and the kits—as well as completing his usual duties for the Clan." He watched through narrowed green eyes as his Clan murmured amongst themselves, as if discussing whether his punishment was harsh enough.

"Enough," he finally waved his tail. "This meeting is over. Welcome Bluefur warmly, as she will soon be fighting and hunting alongside you."

As he jumped down from the roots, the Clan broke into small groups, continuing to chatter nervously. They didn't seem as pleased as Oakheart, but her mate seemed unfazed by their hostility.

"I'll show you to the nursery," Oakheart licked her shoulder comfortingly. "It's empty right now, but every cat in RiverClan knows that Willowbreeze will end up there before too much longer."

Bluefur nodded, following the red-brown tom past the throngs of muttering cats and towards the thick sedges that surrounded the camp. He pushed his way through a small tunnel of tangled reeds and ferns, and Bluefur was surprised when she followed and the tight tunnel opened up into a cozy den. It was chilled from disuse, and Bluefur realized that RiverClan was more in need of kits than ThunderClan, who only had White-eye's litter of two in the nursery. The walls and roof were made of tightly woven reeds and willow stems, not even the tiniest draft breaking through. Along with the willow stems, Bluefur noticed that colorful feathers decorated the walls and roof, and shiny stones and shells surrounded the edge of the den.

"What do you think?" Oakheart whispered.

Bluefur pressed close to the warrior, purring, unable to find the words. It was so easy to see her kits being born and raised in the beautiful den.

"I'm glad you like it." He brushed his tail down her spine. "If you'd like, you can come with me while I hunt, and we can gather some fresh moss and feathers for your nest." He flicked his ears towards a nest of woven branches towards the middle of the den, already lined with moss.

"My nest?" She blinked at him, and the warrior ducked his head sheepishly.

"I made it after you agreed to join me in RiverClan. There's already some moss from my nest in the warriors' den in it, but I thought you might like to make it more comfortable for the kits…" His sentence trailed off before he pressed impossibly closer, his tail twining with hers as he murmured, "I'm just so happy you're here with me…"

Any doubt that remained in Bluefur's mind was swept away by the emotion in Oakheart's tender purr. The blue-gray she-cat gave her mate a small lick on the shoulder. "Well come on then, before I have to take a nap."

Oakheart's whiskers twitched in amusement as he nodded, then turned and led the way from the den. In the camp, the commotion had calmed, and cats were gathered around the dark brown tom Bluefur recognized as Timberfur to get their patrol assignments for the day.

"I'm taking Bluefur hunting," Okaheart called to the deputy, who narrowed his eyes, but offered a tiny dip of his head.

"Take another cat and make it a patrol," the deputy growled. Oakheart sighed, but beckoned a pretty silver tabby over to them with a flick of his tail.

"Willowbreeze, this is Bluefur," Oakheart introduced them brightly. "Bluefur, this is the she-cat my brother had been pining over for moons, Willowbreeze."

"You're one to talk," Bluefur retorted with a roll of her eyes. She turned to Willowbreeze, relieved to see that the young she-cat didn't seem nearly as hostile as the rest of her Clan. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," Willowbreeze purred, her tail curling in amusement. "I always knew Oakheart would wind up with a she-cat that kept him on his toes."

"On my toes?" Oakheart snorted. "She's got me up trees!"

It was much cooler outside the shelter of the reeds that surrounded the camp, and floundering through the shallowest part of the water around RiverClan's island camp left Bluefur shivering before they had even started hunting. _How are they so unaffected by the water?_ She shook each paw in turn as they walked, stumbling awkwardly as she tried to balance the weight of her growing stomach. Willowbreeze blinked sympathetically at her.

"Once you get used to it it's not so bad. Eating fish will help make your pelt resist water like ours."

"O-Oh," Bluefur stammered through her chattering teeth. "That m-makes sense."

Oakheart sighed, looking concerned. "Should we bring her back to camp?"

"We just left," Bluefur snapped hotly. "I'll be fine. I'll probably catch more prey than you, too."

To that, the red-furred warrior rolled his eyes. "You're here to catch moss and feathers for your nest, not fresh-kill."

Bluefur didn't grace the warrior with an answer, instead lashing her tail once and stalking away through the thinning trees. _I'll show him…_ She pricked her ears, focusing on being as quiet as possible as she put distance between herself and her patrol. _There's got to be_ some _prey nibbling on the last beech nuts of the season…_ Even as she thought it, the scent of vole drifted to her nose on the leaf-bare breeze. She crouched low, narrowing her eyes as she spotted the small creature. It was fatter than any prey she had seen in ThunderClan's territory for a moon. Her mouth started to water as she crept closer, thanking StarClan that she was downwind. When she was as close as she could possible get without alerting the creature of her presence, she pounced.

She hissed as she landed a mouse-length short, her paw flicking out as fast as lighting and landing a killing blow to the vole's spine before it could scamper away. _My first catch as a RiverClan warrior!_ She lifted her prey proudly, turning and following her own scent trail back to where she had parted from her mate. His and Willowbreeze's scents led her down a winding trail to the river, where she saw the two warriors sitting a couple of fox-lengths apart, their eyes trained on the icy black water. Oakheart's ears swiveled as she approached.

"Is that vole I smell?" He flashed her an amused glance. "Good catch, Bluefur."

Willowbreeze's paw shot into the water, and she flicked a fish in a high arc onto the ground, where she killed it swiftly. "That is a good catch," she praised warmly. "It's not often we find voles that plump in leaf-bare. They're my favorite."

"You mean fish aren't your favorite?" Bluefur tilted her head, burying her vole at the roots of a birch tree before joining the silver tabby near the water. She let out a _mrrow_ of amusement.

"Nope! I have fish all the time," she flicked her tail disinterestedly towards her own catch. "But voles and mice aren't nearly as common in our fresh-kill pile. They're kind of a treat."

"I still prefer fish," Oakheart interjected as he hooked a fish of his own. "There's nothing better."

Bluefur watched with fascination as her companions' focus went straight back to the water. "Will you teach me?" She murmured, trying not to disturb them or their prey.

"Later," Oakheart promised with a wave of his tail. "For now, there's a really nice patch of moss in the clump of trees just upstream."

Bluefur let out a frustrated sigh, but turned and trudged towards the trees he had mentioned. _It won't do the kits any favors to sleep on a pile of sticks._ She reminded herself glumly. _Who knew that being a queen was so frustrating?_ Even so, she felt exhaustion creeping into her bones as she expertly cut swathes of moss from the trees, making sure they were good and dry as well as free of thorns.

When Oakheart joined her, two fish and her vole clamped in his jaws, she was nearly asleep on her paws. He couldn't meow around his catch, but he ran his tail down her flank to get her attention, and flicked his ear towards the camp. With a drowsy nod, Bluefur gathered her moss carefully and fell in step behind him, vaguely aware of Willowbreeze bringing up the rear with her own catch of two fish. Oakheart signaled for Bluefur to wait at the edge of the water surrounding the camp, taking his fresh-kill across and then coming back for her moss, carrying it carefully across. When Bluefur splash after him, she was relieved to see that he had managed to keep her fresh bedding completely dry.

"Thank-you," she mumbled, taking it back and following him through the reed tunnel. The camp was much calmer then, as Oakheart deposited his fresh-kill on the pile. All around, cats were eating in sharing tongues in the warmer patches of leaf-bare sunlight.

"Come on," Oakheart gave her nudge. "You need to eat something before you fall asleep. You didn't eat this morning." He took the two fish he had caught and ushered her to a particularly inviting splotch of sunshine just outside the nursery.

"I'm going to fix my nest first," she mewed stubbornly. Oakheart didn't argue, settling down outside while Bluefur pushed her way into her new den. She dropped the moss unceremoniously into the nest, spreading it carefully with her paws until she was certain it was comfortable. It took everything she had to leave the chilly nursery and rejoin Oakheart. The reddish brown warrior had left her the bigger of the two fish, picking at his own meal slowly as he waited for her return.

"Thank-you, Oakheart," she murmured quietly, lying down with her flank brushing his.

"There's no need to thank me," he purred, leaning over to lick her ear.

"Fine," she huffed mockingly. "I won't."

Oakheart's whiskers twitched. "Oh yeah?" He finished his fish in two more bites, then jumped to his paws, looming over her. "And what if I make you?"

Bluefur only stretched up to touch her nose to his, too tired to start the play fight she knew he was about to launch. "You won't have to," she assured him. He sat beside her, beginning to groom her pelt as she finished eating. It wasn't long before she dozed under her mate's rhythmic care, dreams of hunting alongside Oakheart and Willowbreeze swirling through her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank-you all so much for the kind reviews! It's reviews like those that keep me inspired! You guys rock, and I hope you like this chapter as much as the first two! I promise the plot will start getting a little more dramatic soon ;) Enjoy!**

Bluefur shivered as she slipped out of the nursery, stretching each leg in turn. The first snow had come early, and now a shimmering layer blanketed the RiverClan camp.

"Good morning," Willowbreeze greeted her from the entrance of the warriors' den as she exited. "Oakheart left before dawn to go hunting."

Bluefur rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm going to starve to death before sunhigh."

The silver tabby's whiskers twitched in amusement. Over the half-moon that Bluefur had been in RiverClan, Willowbreeze had become her closest friend. She was always eager to ask Bluefur about being a queen, and would keep the blue-gray warrior company in the nursery when Oakheart was too busy.

"Are you on patrol today?" Bluefur inquired as Willowbreeze joined her outside of the nursery.

"Not until Sunhigh." She sat next to Bluefur, her eyes straying curiously towards the queen's swollen stomach. "How many do you think there are?"

Bluefur purred as she settled down beside the young warrior. "I'm not sure, but I'm already larger than White-eye was when she gave birth, and she had two…"

"So you think it'll be a big litter?"

Bluefur shrugged uncomfortably, thinking of Poppydawn's excruciatingly long delivery of her litter of three. "Two would be plenty," she finally sighed. "I think part of it is how much Oakheart is trying to fatten me up!"

Willowbreeze purred. "You know he's just looking out for you. You were far too thin when you came to us, even Brambleberry said so. And the medicine cat is always right."

Brambleberry was another one of the few cats that seemed welcoming to Bluefur, as well as her recently named apprentice, Mudfur. Bluefur vividly remembered Mudfur's battle prowess, but the life of a medicine cat seemed to have soothed the warrior, and even he was warming up to the blue-gray queen. "I suppose," she offered with a flick of her tail. Her ears perked as the sedge tunnel quivered and Oakheart shouldered his way through. Two fish hung from his mouth, but he didn't even glance towards the fresh-kill pile as he padded towards the two she-cats.

"Good morning," he meowed warmly, dropping his catch at Bluefur's paws. Before Willowbreeze could open her mouth, he pushed one of the silvery fish towards her. "I heard you were on the sunhigh patrol, so I went ahead and caught one for you as well."

"But…"

Bluefur slapped her tail across her friend's muzzle. "You'd better get used to it," she teased. "It won't be long before you're trapped in camp as well."

Willowbreeze's eyes grew wide. "But I… You don't really think…"

Oakheart rolled his eyes, and Bluefur purred in amusement. "Trust me, I was skeptical, too, when I was told. But it's something that you can just see once you're expecting your own."

The silver tabby's eyes lit up. "Thank-you, Bluefur." She purred thickly.

Oakheart sighed. "Great, now Crookedstar's never going to stop talking about it."

"You mean like you never stop talking about Bluefur?" Willowbreeze teased.

"I can't help that I'm proud," Oakheart countered, puffing his chest out. "Anyways, I've got to take out a hunting patrol. If I make her wait much longer Leopardfur is going to claw my ears off."

Bluefur's whiskers twitched as Oakheart bent and touched his nose to hers. "I'll eat with you tonight," he promised quietly, before turning and bounding across the camp to where Leopardfur was waiting with her apprentice, Whitepaw, near the sedge tunnel.

Bluefur pulled one of Oakheart's fish and let Willowbreeze take the second. It wasn't until she took the first bite that Bluefur realized the she really might have starved if she waited any longer to eat. She didn't waste breath speaking between bites, polishing off the piece of fresh-kill in a matter of heart-beats. Willowbreeze ate more slowly, deep in thought. As she finished, the she-cats shared tongues, enjoying each other's company before Willowbreeze had to leave for patrol. When she was called away, Bluefur stood and stretched.

 _I may not have the energy for a patrol, but I can at least take a walk…_ She remembered Brambleberry's advice to exercise a little bit every day, and with that in mind she padded slowly out of the camp.

Bluefur was getting accustomed to RiverClan's territory now, and no longer lost her way when she went out. It had taken time to get used to how much more open RiverClan's territory was in comparison to ThunderClan's, but the beech and willow trees offered some shelter from the wind and fresh snow. It didn't take long for the queen to tire, and with a sigh of relief, she spotted a clump of sorrel at the base of a large beech tree. _Perfect for a nap._ The blue-gray queen slipped into the shelter offered by the tree's roots and the sorrel's nearly-bare branches. It was cooler than the nursery, but she was comfortable, and quickly fell asleep.

Bluefur was surprised by how warm she was when she woke up, blinking blurrily at the fresh layer of snow that had fallen while she'd napped.

"Sleep good?"

The queen nearly jumped out of her fur as Oakheart's warm breath ghosted across her ear. "What are you doing here?" She hissed, wishing that she was still nimble enough with her kit-heavy stomach to turn and cuff the reddish-brown warrior over the ears. He only purred in amusement, pressing closer against her and drawing his tongue across her ears.

"When I got back from hunting Mudfur said he'd seen you wandering out of the camp, so I got worried and came looking for you. I followed your scent trail here, where I found you sleeping like a hedgehog."

Bluefur rolled her eyes. "Am I not allowed to take naps?"

"You may want to keep your naps in the nursery from now on," Oakheart's voice was suddenly serious. "Mudfur told me that the kits would probably be born in the next half-moon, and it isn't safe for you to be so far from camp. The kits may come any time now."

Bluefur gasped, tensing all over, and Oakheart jumped to his paws, his eyes flying wide with panic. "Bluefur?"

"Only kidding," the queen purred, stretching and giving her mate a playful flick of her tail. "Really, Oakheart, you shouldn't worry so much. I'm fine."

The warrior was glowering down at her. "That's not funny," he huffed. "Now come on, the sun will be setting soon and you'll catch whitecough sleeping out here in the snow."

"I'm not going to catch whitecough," Bluefur grumbled. Nevertheless, she stood stiffly beside her mate, leaning heavily on him as they trudged through the snow and back to camp. Brambleberry was waiting outside the nursery, and Bluefur braced herself for the scolding. She was surprised when the sweet medicine cat turned a frosty glare to Oakheart.

"How _could_ you?" She hissed. "The only punishment Crookedstar gives you for becoming her mate is to _take care of her_. And I wouldn't even call that a punishment! We don't have the herbs to start a fight with ThunderClan over Sunningrocks, and we _certainly_ don't have the herbs to treat greencough!"

"But…" Bluefur tried weakly. Brambleberry's gaze softened as they fell on the drowsy queen.

"Hush now, Bluefur. I brought you some borage to help with your milk production since the kits will be born before too long."

"That's not…"

The medicine cat swished her tail over Bluefur's muzzle. "You're not at fault here, we told you to exercise; you were only trying to keep healthy and warm."

Oakheart's jaw dropped in disbelief, and Bluefur's tail curled in amusement. "So why am I in trouble?" He meowed incredulously.

"Because," Brambleberry huffed. "You're a tom and you're supposed to be waiting on her every whim. Now, go fetch her a nice fresh meal, and after that you had better not leave her side until you're due for patrol in the morning!"

"Yes, Brambleberry," Oakheart sighed, flicking his ears as the medicine cat gave Bluefur her borage and padded briskly away.

"Sorry," Bluefur offered sweetly, nuzzling Oakheart's shoulder.

He rolled his eyes. "Sure you are." There was laughter in his tone though, and he touched his nose to the tip of her ear. "I'll go get you some fresh-kill."

Bluefur nodded, settling down and eating the borage leaf Brambleberry had left for her while Oakheart went to the fresh-kill pile. When she had managed to swallow the last of the sour leaf, her eyes were drawn to Leopardfur's apprentice as he practiced battle moves with Loubelly, the young warrior that Oakheart had mentored.

Loudbelly continuously overpowered the younger tom, and Bluefur couldn't help but to notice that Whitepaw wasn't following up with any of his moves, only swiping each paw out once before defending.

 _He's fast enough to beat Loudbelly, he just needs to put a third swipe in there, and when that catches Loudbelly off guard he can knock him off balance…_ She stood and hobbled over to the pair as they broke apart again.

"Whitepaw," she beckoned him with her tail. Leopardfur scowled from where she sat near the warriors' den, eating with Ottersplash, but Bluefur ignored her. _They're going to have to accept that I'm their Clan-mate sooner or later._ The dark tabby approached her cautiously. "Next time," she meowed softly but firmly. "Swipe a third time. Sticking to the bare basics is good in theory, but in a real battle you won't be able to get away with only standard attacks, you'll have to think. You're fast enough to win against Loudbelly, if you want to, but you can't let him overpower you before you have the chance."

He looked uncertain, but gave her small nod before facing Loudbelly again. The warrior crouched low to the ground, and Bluefur moved so she could watch better. Whitepaw attacked again, swiping twice and backing off. Loudbelly easily bowled him over with a heavy cuff to the side of his head.

"Keep rolling," Bluefur called, "and regain your paws!" In the heat of the sparring match, Whitepaw listened without hesitation, letting his momentum carry him back onto his paws. "Now duck, and counter." Bluefur held her breath and the apprentice reacted just as quickly as before, ducking under Loudbelly's blow and delivering not two, but three stinging attacks of his own. Loudbelly was on the defensive now, and with a mighty leap, Whitepaw knocked him off his paws and pinned his opponent down.

"That was brilliant, Whitepaw!" Loudbelly congratulated the tabby apprentice. He didn't spare Bluefur a glance, but before she could turn away, Whitepaw approached her shyly.

"Thank-you, Bluefur," he mumbled.

"Any time," the blue-gray queen flicked her tail-tip against his shoulder. "You should get back to sparring before you get in trouble for talking to me," she encouraged him quietly, taking note of Leopardfur's increasingly furious glare.

"O-Oh…" Whitepaw glanced over his shoulder at his mentor, before giving Bluefur a quick nod and scampering back to Loudbelly. Bluefur padded slowly back to the nursery, where Oakheart was waiting for her.

"If you keep that up, you'll have an apprentice of your own in no time," Oakheart mewed cheerily.

"I doubt it." Bluefur sighed, lying next to the red-furred warrior to eat the fish he had brought for her. "Even if Crookedstar thinks I'm able, no queen is going to trust me to mentor their kits."

"Maybe not yet," Oakheart brushed his tail reassuringly down her side. "But in time, they'll see. You're a great warrior, Bluefur. Crookedstar once fought you in battle—he knows that as surely as I know the sky is blue. The others will come around."

 _I hope you're right._ Bluefur didn't say anything else, focusing on her meal instead. Oakheart let the conversation die, and they adopted a companionable silence as they both ate. Oakheart swiped his tongue around his lips as he finished.

"I'll take care of the bones," he offered, standing and stretching.

"Thank-you," Bluefur stood as well, a yawn escaping her lips. "Are you sleeping in the warriors' den tonight?"

Oakheart rolled his eyes. "And listen to Leopardfur complain about how you gave Whitepaw better battle training advice than her? No thanks. Besides, I spent last night in the warriors' den and I missed you."

Bluefur's tail curled. "Alright. I'm going to go ahead and lie down." He flicked his ears to let her know he had heard as he gathered the bones from their meal and took them to the dirt place to bury them. Bluefur slipped into the nursery, equal parts excited and frustrated with the way her stomach brushed the sides of the entrance. _Just a half-moon to go…_ She felt a thrill as the thought crossed her mind, and she settled into her nest purring.

Oakheart tilted his head as he pushed his way into the nursery. "And what are you so happy about?" He teased quietly.

"Nothing," Bluefur murmured sleepily.

"Excited?" He curled around her, blinking fondly at the queen as she let her head rest on his wide paws.

"Yes," she whispered, sinking deeper and deeper into sleep's embrace.

Oakheart laid his head on her shoulder, feeling her drowsy purr grow more and more faint as she fell asleep. "I am, too." He admitted softly. Bluefur was already asleep, but he continued to murmur quietly, curling his tail so that it rested on her swollen flank. "I can't wait to meet you, little ones…"

* * *

"Rise and shine, Bluefur, time for me to clean your nest."

Bluefur only growled, curling into as tight of a ball as her belly would allow and tucking her tail over her nose.

"Bluefur…" Oakheart sighed, nudging the queen with his nose. "You need to eat, and I need to take out this moss. It's damp from the snow. Brambleberry will send me to StarClan early if she finds out you're sleeping on damp moss this close to your kitting."

With an exasperated groan, Bluefur forced herself to open her eyes and stand up, stepping gingerly out of her nest so that Oakheart could gather the moss. She would be lying if she told the warrior her joints weren't slightly stiff from sleeping on the chilled, damp moss.

"Is it morning already?" She sighed. Oakheart gave her an amused glance.

"It's nearly sunhigh."

"Oh," Bluefur couldn't bring herself to be genuinely shocked. Brambleberry had told her the kits could arrive at any moment, so she was confined to the camp, and spent nearly all of her time resting or eating. She followed Oakheart out of the nursery, blinking as she adjusted to the sunlight. Brambleberry hurried over as soon as she saw the queen.

"How are you feeling today, Bluefur?"

"I'm fine," she assured the medicine cat, flicking her ears in mild irritation.

Oakheart had vanished to dispose of the moss, and when he rejoined them he was carrying a fish. He dipped his head in a respectful greeting to Brambleberry before placing the fresh-kill in front of Bluefur.

"I'll be back with fresh bedding." He promised, touching his nose to hers briefly before heading towards the camp entrance.

Brambleberry watched approvingly as he left. "I'll bring you some borage later," she mewed, waving her tail in a small farewell as she retreated to the medicine den again. "And call if you need me!"

Bluefur sighed, settling down and nibbling on her fish. She could tell by the constant churning in her stomach that the kits were getting restless. They made it hard to sleep, but harder still to stay awake. _For now,_ she thought, finishing her meal and resting her head on her paws. _I think I'll take another nap._

The queen was roused by a prickle of pain in her flank, and she sat up groggily. The sun was sinking towards WindClan's territory, and all around camp cats were settling down for their evening meals. Oakheart emerged from the nursery as she yawned.

"Have a nice nap?" He brushed lovingly against her.

"Kind of," she mumbled.

He blinked sympathetically at her. "You seem uncomfortable."

Bluefur rolled her eyes. "Let me stuff a couple of kits in you and see how comfortable _you_ feel."

Oakheart's eyes shimmered with amusement. "Okay, okay, you make a good point." He trailed off for a moment, his eyes tracing her form before he continued, "Anyways, I just finished with your nest. I made sure the moss was especially dry and soft."

"I'll be the judge of that," Bluefur growled mockingly. "But can you fetch me that fish right there on the top of the pile first? I'm starving and that fish is exactly what I'm craving."

"Sure thing." Oakheart flicked his tail-tip against her nose as he headed towards the fresh-kill pile. Bluefur blinked the tickly sensation away, surprised when she opened her eyes to see Whitepaw trotting towards her. He had a mouthful of feathers, and he dropped them sheepishly at his paws when he reached her.

"Whitepaw?" She tilted her head, and the apprentice licked at his chest fur self-consciously.

"I… I overheard the other day, when Brambleberry said the kits could come at any moment, and I… Well I had to clean the elder's nests today and while I was out I saw Oakheart collecting moss for your nest and I thought you might like some feathers as well… You know, to make it softer…"

Bluefur purred warmly. "Thank-you, Whitepaw." Another pain, this one sharper than the first, flashed down her side. The queen ignored it, flicking her tail towards the nursery. "Why don't you help me put them in?"

"Okay," The apprentice sounded more confident with every word. He ducked his head and scooped up the feathers again before following Bluefur into the nursery.

He dropped them in her nest, spreading them and expertly weaving them through the moss and twigs with his front paws—one of which Bluefur noticed was as white as the snow outside. She helped as much as she could, pushing feathers closer when he couldn't reach them from where he sat, and spreading those he wasn't weaving into the nest across the bottom.

"Willowbreeze will be moving in soon, won't she? Leopardfur said the other day that she was getting too clumsy to be any good on a hunting patrol."

 _Leopardfur would say that._ Bluefur thought pointedly before nodding in response to Whitepaw's question. "She should probably already be in here," she purred. Another pain lanced through her, this one nearly forcing her to the ground.

"Hey Bluefur?" Whitepaw blinked up at her.

"Yes?" Bluefur exhaled, sinking her claws into the ground as yet another pain swept through her body.

"When your kits are born, can I come play with them sometimes?"

"O-Of course you can," Bluefur's voice cracked. "Speaking of," she began panting, her legs trembling under the force of the pains rippling through her. "I think they're coming now."

"Now?" Whitepaw's green eyes stretched wider than the full moon.

" _Now_."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I apologize in advance for the birth scene, I uh. I'm not very fond of them, but I felt Bluefur's struggle was important. Anyways. I really appreciate all of the name suggestions I got, and with the help of all of you darling reviewers (I love you guys so much, you don't even know) I decided to leave Stonekit and Mistykit as is, and added a fourth kit. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and let me know what you think of the kit names, pretty please!**

"I'll go get Brambleberry right away!" Whitepaw yowled, racing from the den like his tail had caught fire.

"Great… idea…" Bluefur growled, sinking her claws into the ground to steady herself as another pain consumed her. By the time the pain had passed, Brambleberry was at her side.

"Alright Bluefur, it's time. Are you ready?"

The queen couldn't restrain the pained yowl that came with the next wave of pain.

"I'll take that as a yes," Brambleberry's tone softened. "Lie down in your nest, Bluefur. Nice and slowly, try not to disturb your stomach." The pretty medicine cat helped the queen settle on her side, resting one soft paw on her flank. "They won't come for a while yet, I'm afraid."

"That's just perfect," Bluefur hissed.

Brambleberry blinked sympathetically at the queen. "I'm sorry, Bluefur, I know the pain must be great."

"Bluefur!" Oakheart exploded into the den as he might burst into battle, his claws unsheathed and his fur bristling. "Is everything okay?"

Brambleberry whirled on the warrior with a hiss. "What do you think you're doing bursting in like that?"

Oakheart ducked low to the ground, flattening his ears apologetically. "I'm sorry, Brambleberry, but Whitepaw just told me…"

"If you're not going to be useful then get out," Bluefur spat, clenching her eyes shut. _Snowfur, how did you do this?_

As she thought of her sister, she felt a warm breath against her ear. _"You can do it, Bluefur. Take deep breaths, have Brambleberry send that arrogant mate of yours to fetch wet moss or something."_

Oakheart's warm amber eyes softened with concern as he saw Bluefur lying in her nest. "I'm sorry," he scooted forward around Brambleberry on his stomach. "What can I do?" He touched his nose gently to her flank.

"I'm… thirsty," Bluefur growled.

"You heard her, go get some moss and soak it with water."

Oakheart jumped to his paws. "Okay!" The warrior shouldered his way out. Moments later, Mudfur slipped into the den, shaking his head.

"I told Oakheart that the moss had to be soaked in the river, so that it would be fresher." The brown tom set a bundle of herbs beside Brambleberry, who blinked gratefully at her apprentice.

It felt like moons passed with Brambleberry's soft pad on her flank before the medicine cat gasped softly. "Alright Bluefur, it's time. I know you're already tired from the pain, but I need you to push now!"

Bluefur didn't think she could lift a paw, much less finish her kitting, but as the next wave of pain crashed over her, she pushed with all of her might. A cry of pain parted her jaws, ripping from her throat.

 _"You're almost there, Bluefur!"_ Snowfur's spirit meowed encouragingly.

"The first kit's been born!" Brambleberry cheered, passing the tiny scrap of damp fur to Mudfur. "You're doing great, Bluefur. Keep pushing!"

 _StarClan, help me!_

"The second kit has been born," Mudfur placed the first kit gently in Bluefur's nest and turned to tend to the second.

"Are they… are they okay?" Bluefur rasped, straining to lift her head.

"They'll be fine, Bluefur, focus on pushing, there's another kit," Brambleberry pushed some herbs towards her. "These will help."

 _"Bluefur, don't close your eyes, keep pushing. Your kits need you."_

Bluefur groaned, too tired to yowl anymore. She could barely push, breathing heavily as she tried.

"There's the third," Brambleberry's meow seemed to grow fainter by the moment. "Hang in there, Bluefur! I think there's one more."

 _"Bluefur, don't give up. You need to keep pushing, there's one more kit!"_ Snowfur's starry spirit pressed more closely against her. With sudden clarity, Goosefeather's ominous words flashed through her mind.

 _"You are fire, and you will blaze through the forest."_

"Water…" Bluefur whispered.

"Bring her some water, Mudfur, quickly!" Brambleberry's urgent mew died into a nearly silent whisper, "StarClan please don't let me lose her…"

 _"Water will destroy you, Bluefur,"_ Goosefeather's prophecy was louder in her ears than even Snowfur's voice.

"Bluefur!" Brambleberry cried out, cutting through the fog. Then, "Mudfur, hurry."

Bluefur was vaguely aware of a ball of wet moss being pressed to her mouth. The water was icy and fresh as it trickled down her throat.

"What's taking so long?"

 _Oakheart…_

"Oakheart, now's not the time for you to be acting rash," Mudfur was growling.

"I won't leave her!" She felt her nest shift as Oakheart lie down beside her. "Bluefur, listen to me, you've got to hold on." His breath ghosted across her ear. "Our kits need you, Bluefur," he insisted, pressing his muzzle against her cheek. "I need you."

Another drop of icy water trickled down her throat, and the queen forced her eyes open.

"That's it, Bluefur," Brambleberry meowed desperately. "There's just one more kit, you can do it!"'

 _"You can do it."_ Snowfur's scent wreathed around her, touched by their mother's sweet, lingering scent.

With one final burst of energy, Bluefur pushed with all of her might.

"You've done it, Bluefur! You were great." Brambleberry let out a heavy sigh.

"She's right, Bluefur," Oakheart rumbled warmly. "You were amazing."

"The kits," Bluefur rasped. "How are they?"

Brambleberry pushed more herbs towards her. "Eat these, you need all of your strength."

"But the kits…"

"Hush," Oakheart swept his tail down her flank, which was still heaving with every breath. "Eat your herbs." He pulled them closer to her with his paw. "I'll tell you about our kits as you eat them."

The blue-gray queen flicked her tail in slight agitation, but feebly raised her head to lap at the leaves. Mudfur had already torn them into tiny pieces to make them easier for her to eat. She chewed them slowly, for once not caring about their bitter taste,

"There are four," Oakheart began quietly, his voice rich with pride.

"Two toms," Brambleberry added. "And two she-cats."

As she finished the herbs, Oakheart shifted, thrusting his shoulder under Bluefur's head as she tried to turn to see the tiny bundles kneading her stomach. "Can you them better now?"

Bluefur nodded weakly. "They're beautiful…"

"The first one, a tom, has gray fur like yours, but a little bit darker. And the second, a she-cat, looks just…" He paused, seeming choked up. "Just like you, Bluefur. Then the third, he's the second tom, he's got red fur, like me. And the last one…" He trailed off, his eyes softening as they fell to rest on the tiniest kit. "She's pale gray and white."

"They're all so small…" Bluefur murmured. She couldn't take her eyes off of them. _Thank-you, Snowfur… I couldn't have done it without you…_

"Now," Brambleberry meowed, adopting a more business-like tone. "You need to rest, Bluefur." She turned her eyes to Oakheart. "Tell me as soon as she wakes so I can bring her more herbs. We're not out of the dark yet."

"I will," Oakheart promised, gently easing back so Bluefur's head could rest on his paws. Bluefur sighed as the medicine cats left.

"How late is it?" She whispered quietly.

Oakheart narrowed his eyes, peering out the entrance. "It was far past moonhigh when I couldn't take it anymore and came in… So I'd say it's either nearly dawn or dawn already." He shook his head. "Don't worry about how late or early it is right now, you need to rest, you're exhausted."

The blue-gray queen only mumbled something incoherent as she slipped into a deep slumber.

* * *

A pitiful mewling reached Bluefur through the sweet, swirling depths of sleep. Faintly, she could hear Oakheart murmuring.

"Hush, little ones, don't cry," he whispered urgently. "Your mother needs to rest now…"

"Oakheart," Bluefur croaked, her throat dry.

The reddish-brown warrior started. "You're awake, are you alright? Have you rested enough? You sound parched, I'll get you some water. Oh, and I'll send Brambleberry with some herbs!"

Bluefur didn't object as her mate stood stiffly and stepped carefully around her to slip out of the nursery. Feeling much stronger than she had before falling asleep, she lifted her head, blinking warmly down at her kits. They kneaded her belly weakly, and the biggest of the four mewled in complaint when his suckling was in vain. _Am I not producing enough milk?_ Panic flared in Bluefur's chest.

"I've come with herbs," Mudfur announced his entrance around a bundle of leaves, which he placed at Bluefur's paws. He tilted his head as observed the kits. "Looks like Brambleberry was right. You're producing milk, but nursing four kits is a challenge for a queen in green-leaf." He fixed her with a concerned gaze. "They're going to be alright, but you'll have to take plenty of borage every day and keep eating well to keep them healthy."

"I will," Bluefur rasped. Mudfur's ears flattened.

"Hasn't Oakheart brought you any water yet? The camp is surrounded…" His sentence trailed into an exasperated sigh. "He must have gone all the way to the river again. And to think Crookedstar thinks Oakheart will be his successor." The older tom rolled his eyes before meowing more gently to Bluefur, "I'll be right back."

He was back in moments with a ball of wet moss, and Bluefur lapped at the precious water eagerly. "Thank-you," she purred. The medicine cat hesitated, and the queen obediently chewed on the borage he had brought her.

Mudfur gave her a small nod of approval. He turned to leave before looking back warmly over his shoulder. "Oh, and congratulations, Bluefur. Your kits are beautiful."

"Thank-you, Mudfur." Bluefur purred, letting her eyes fall back to her kits as the medicine cat apprentice slipped out of the nursery. He was absolutely right. She and Oakheart's kits were more perfect than any litter she had ever seen.

The entrance of the nursery trembled again, and Bluefur glanced up, a pleased purr rising in her throat as she saw Willowbreeze.

"Oh, Bluefur," the silver tabby exhaled softly, coming to her friend's side. "They're so precious…"

"Thank-you, Willowbreeze." Bluefur nudged the red-furred tom closer to her stomach as he began to squirm away.

"A little adventurer already," Willowbreeze's whiskers twitched in amusement. "I heard there were two toms and two she-cats. I told you it would be a big litter."

Bluefur rolled her eyes. "Just wait until your litter comes, maybe there will be five."

"No thanks," the silver tabby meowed. "I've hardly grown at all, I'm sure my litter will be small." An easy silence fell between them until Willowbreeze spoke again, her voice barely more than a whisper as she realized the smallest kit was falling asleep. "Have you named them yet?"

"Not yet," Bluefur murmured, leaning down to lick the little pale gray-and-white she-cat as she trembled. "I suppose I should wait for Oakheart to get back."

"Willowbreeze nodded. "I'll go see what he's doing."

"Thanks," the blue-gray queen didn't look up from her kits as her friend left, relieved to see that borage seemed to be working as the darker, bluish gray tom began suckling contently. The smell of fish wafted to the queen's nose, and she felt her mouth instantly begin watering. _Have a really developed such a taste for fish that a favor it now?_ Bluefur suddenly didn't care as Oakheart placed the fresh-kill in front of her.

"Don't you have duties today?" Bluefur tilted her head, but gave her mate a grateful flick of her ears as she tore into the fish.

"When Brambleberry reported to Crookedstar about your kitting and how they'd have to watch you closely for a while, he excused me from warrior duties so that I could help." He settled down behind her again, his pelt cool from being out in the snow.

"I'm glad," Bluefur sighed, leaning back against him as she finished eating. She remembered Willowbreeze's question, and glanced up at the reddish brown warrior. "Would you like to help me name them?"

Oakheart's lit up. "Of course!" He leaned over her, watching the kits closely. "What about…" He rested his tail-tip on the blue-gray tom. "Stonekit?"

"It's perfect," Bluefur nodded approvingly. "And this will be…" She gazed at her blue-gray daughter for a long moment before speaking again. "Mistykit." She didn't wait for Oakheart's approval before turning her gaze on her second son. His already rich, red-brown fur reminded her of something, and as it came back to her, she licked the little kit. "And this will be Sorrelkit."

Oakheart's amber gaze found their smallest daughter, who was trembling in her sleep. "Shiverkit," he purred warmly, leaning down and rasping his tongue across the little she-kit's head. "For the cold night they were born on."

"They're all so perfect…" Bluefur licked each of their kits in turn, patiently nudging Sorrelkit closer as he squirmed to the side again.

"You're absolutely right," Oakheart was purring louder than a monster on the Thunderpath as he watched his family.

Bluefur remembered how exciting kittings had been in ThunderClan—how the warriors would pace furiously, unable to help their comrade in the hardest battle of all, and how the entire Clan would come in one by one as they got the chance to see the latest addition to the Clan. Bluefur wasn't surprised to see that it wasn't the same for her in RiverClan. They had never fought alongside each other, so she was certain the only warrior that had even been up as she kitted was Oakheart. Crookedstar came by briefly, congratulating the two warmly and welcoming RiverClan's newest little warriors. But Bluefur didn't allow herself to expect any other visitors, trying to save herself the disappointment.

 _I don't need their approval. My kits will be the best RiverClan warriors they've ever seen._

When the nursery entrance rustled again as Bluefur was taking her latest dose of herbs, she was beyond surprised to see Whitepaw, closely followed by Loudbelly.

"Loudbelly," Oakheart greeted his former apprentice warmly, inviting him closer with a sweep of his tail. "And Whitepaw. Come to see RiverClan's newest warriors?"

"Yep!" Whitepaw bounced over, peering curiously into the nest. "Wow," he exhaled. "Loudbelly, look! There's really four of them."

"That's a big litter," Loudbelly blinked, seeming slightly surprised as he looked at Bluefur.

"It must be hard to feed all of them at once," Whitepaw observed, lying down on his belly and resting his chin on the edge of her nest, his green eyes bright as he looked at the kits. "They're so tiny…"

"Don't worry," Bluefur purred. "They'll grow."

"If you'd like," Oakheart glanced slyly at Loudbelly. "I can recommend you to mentor one of them, Loudbelly."

The brown warrior backpedaled, his eyes flashing in a mixture of panic and guilt. "I…"

Bluefur shook her head, amused. "It's okay; it's only natural to want to see the kits you might have a chance at mentoring."

"It's just… I know I haven't been the most friendly since you've come to RiverClan, and… Well, Whitepaw said that if I want a chance at mentoring one of your kits I should apologize for how I've been acting… The advice you gave him a while back was brilliant, but I was too busy trying to think of you as an enemy that I didn't realize how valuable you could be to the Clan…"

Bluefur blinked, surprised by the warrior's sudden apology. Her eyes softened as she watched Whitepaw give him an encouraging nod. "Thank-you, Loudbelly. I forgive you. I can't guarantee that you'll mentor one of them, but I would be glad if you did."

"I…" Loudbelly bowed his head, and Oakheart purred.

"You've grown into a fine warrior, Loudbelly. I couldn't be more proud of you."

Whitepaw broke the touching silence that followed. "Have you named them yet?"

"We have," Bluefur purred. She touched her tail-tip to each kit in turn as she told Whitepaw their names. "Stonekit, Mistykit, Sorrelkit, and Shiverkit."

"Wow," the apprentice exhaled, his eyes wide with wonder as he continued watching the kits. "Hurry up and grow," he whispered. "There's so much for you to see!"

 **A/N 2: A very close friend of mine recommended the name Shiverkit, because it sounded cute, and I immediately fell in love with it. I was hesitant at first, but then I remembered that there was a Sneezekit in the actual series, sooo... Yeah. Thanks for reading!**


	5. UPDATE

Hello everyone!

I am so overwhelmed by how supportive you guys are of this fic! I have loved reading all of your beautiful reviews, and I promise there is an update coming soon. But first, I need some help.

To start this fic, I found a copy of Bluestar's prophecy and read it, but I have never read Crookedstar's Promise, and I don't really have the time to go through it and carefully mark character births and deaths to make an accurate set of Allegiances for RiverClan. That being said, I need to know if you guys would hate me for supplementing the few characters I know of with some OC's, or alternatively, if one of you would like to send me a mostly-accurate list of RiverClan's allegiances at the time Bluefur gave birth. I know that's a lot of effort for a fanfic, but I love being as accurate as I can when I'm using other people's characters.

Thanks in advance, and if there's no input on the matter, I'll have to put this on hiatus until I find the time to work around my patchy knowledge of old RiverClan.

* * *

Though I have only received one review encouraging me to just remake RiverClan, I went ahead and started on a rough draft. Feel free to give me input on names, and I'll definitely be looking for kit names for the OC queen.

* * *

RiverClan

 **Leader: Crookedstar** -large tabby tom with a twisted jaw

 **Deputy:** **Timberfur-** brown tom

 **Medicine Cat: Brambleberry** _-white she-cat with black spots and a pink nose_

 _Apprentice,_ Mudfur (long-haired brown tom)

 **Warriors:** **Oakheart** -reddish brown tom with amber eyes

 **Ottersplash** -ginger and white she-cat

 **Duskfall** -black tom with amber eyes

 **Falconheart** -dark brown tabby tom with a white tail and chest fur

 **Graypool** -pale gray she-cat

 **Leopardfur** -unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

 _Apprentice,_ Whitepaw

 **Rainclaw** -dark gray tabby tom with green eyes

 **Loudbelly** -dark brown tom

 **Apprentices:** **Whitepaw** -very dark brown tom with one white paw and green eyes

 **Queens:** **Bluefur** -blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Oakheart's kits: Stonekit (dark blue-gray tom), Mistykit (blue-gray she-cat), Sorrelkit (red-furred tom), and Shiverkit (pale gray-and-white she-cat)

 **Willowbreeze** -silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes, expecting Crookedstar's kits

 **Sedgenose** -cream-colored she-cat with pale green eyes, expecting Duskfall's kits

 **Elders:** **Rippleclaw**

 **Owlfur**

 **Lilystem**


	6. Chapter 5

**I DID IT! I FOUND MY INSPIRATION FOR THIS STORY AGAIN!** **Thank you all so so so so much for the reviews - honestly that's what did it. My dogs had be up at 2 in the morning and I checked my emails, saw that this story had a new review and I just. Gah. I reread ALL of them and guys you are so great and you deserve so much more effort in this story. So I hope you're ready for some updates, because they're coming in hot!**

 **This chapter is just a bit of fluffy filler, the plot will pick back up once the kits are a tiny bit older, though there's hints of what's to come in this chapter, as well. Anyway, without further ado, here's the long awaited, much anticipated...**

 **Chapter 5!**

Bluefur let out a deep sigh as she woke, "And where do you think you're going?" She opened one eye and fixed it on the suddenly sheepish kit standing at the entrance of the nursery. In the pale gray light of dawn it was easy to make out the bluish shine of Mistykit's fur. Caught red-pawed, the little she-kit padded back to Bluefur's nest.

"Nowhere, I guess…"

Bluefur rolled her eyes, sitting up to rasp her tongue across the crestfallen kit's fuzzy pelt. "You know you're not allowed outside until your siblings have opened their eyes," she scolded her daughter half-heartedly.

"Sorrelkit's are open," Mistykit objected, "can't we go together?"

"No, Mistykit, that's final."

With a purr of amusement, Willowbreeze woke. "It won't be long now, Mistykit," sthe pretty queen soothed. "Why don't we play with a moss ball for a while?"

"Okay!" The blue-gray kit scampered to Willowbreeze's nest eagerly. Bluefur blinked gratefully at her friend. She wasn't sure how she'd survive without the silver tabby's help. It had been a quarter moon since she'd kitted, and in that time the first snow of the season had come, and with it more work. Oakheart had been called back to his warrior duties, leaving Bluefur and Willowbreeze to rely on Whitepaw to deliver their meals and clean their nests. Occasionally Sedgenose—a pale brown warrior not much younger than Willowbreeze—would help. Bluefur suspected a little more with each visit that the cream-colored she-cat would be joining them in the nursery sooner rather than later.

A pitiful squeak drew Bluefur from her thoughts, prompting her to nose each of the kits still sleeping at her side. Sorrelkit was waking, stretching his little legs and rolling onto his back. Another yawn, accompanied by another squeak, parted his pink lips.

"Good morning," the red-furred tom scrambled to his paws, muddled blue eyes blinking rapidly to focus. "Have they done it?"

"Good morning," Bluefur started washing the scraps of reeds and moss from her son's fur. "They're still sleeping, Sorrelkit, we won't know until they wake up."

"Oh." He looked around the nursery, his eyes lighting up when he saw the moss ball Mistykit was chasing after. "May I play, too?"

Bluefur rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, go on before you wake your siblings."

As Sorrelkit hurried off, Bluefur heard a sigh. "I'm already awake…"

"I'm sorry, dearest," the blue-furred queen touched her nose apologetically to Stonekit's head. He tilted his head back, blinking uncertainly at her. "Hello, there," she purred, touching her nose to his. "I see you've decided to open your eyes."

As if he'd only just realized he could see, Stonekit's blurry eyes shot wide. "I _did_ ," he squealed. "I…" He squinted up at her. "I can see you!" A bashful purr rattled in his little chest. "You're so pretty…!"

"Thank you, little one," Bluefur's tail curled in silent laughter. Stonekit spun unsteadily, letting out another squeak of surprise. "Is that Mistykit? She looks just like you! But… Fluffy."

"It is," Bluefur mewed. "And Sorrelkit and Willowbreeze. Why don't you go play with them? Your brother and sister will be excited that you've opened your eyes."

Though he was fidgeting with excitement himself, Stonekit hesitated. "What about Shiverkit?" He looked at their littlest sister. "When will she open her eyes?"

"When she's ready," Bluefur gave the tom-kit a nudge. "Go on and play, Stonekit."

Before long, Whitepaw pushed his way into the nursery, two shining fish in his jaws. He deposited them proudly, his green eyes bright. "I've brought breakfast!"

"Whitepaw!" Mistykit cheered, abandoning their game off mossball to go greet the apprentice.

"Thank-you, Whitepaw," Willowbreeze meowed gratefully. "Any longer and I may have withered away."

"They're not as plump as they could have been," the dark brown apprentice muttered apologetically. "The edges of the river were frozen this morning."

"Is that why your paws are so cold?" Sorrelkit crinkled his nose as he sniffed the apprentice's damp forelegs.

Whitepaw crouched down to the kit's level with a nod. "Mhm. And it's snowing outside."

"Snow?" Stonekit echoed, mystified.

Mistykit bounced back to her brother's side, "Snow! Whitepaw told us that it's this powdery cold white stuff that falls from the sky!"

Whitepaw's eyes widened slightly. "Stonekit, you've opened your eyes," He glanced at Bluefur curiously, and the queen shook her head.

"Shiverkit's not ready yet," she explained. "It won't be long now though; I can feel it."

"I can, too," Willowbreeze chimed in warmly.

A sharp yowl sent Whitepaw backpedaling out of the warmth of the nursery, meowing hasty goodbyes the whole way. Bluefur pulled her meal closer and called the kits back to her nest, relieved when they settled easily and started nursing as she ate. When she'd finished her fish and the kits' had each had their fill of milk, Bluefur curled around them and shut her eyes, dozing off and on as she listened to Willowbreeze cough faintly in her sleep.

Shiverkit opened her eyes just four sunrises later, much to the delight of her siblings. After stalling for as long as she possibly could, Bluefur finally relented.

"Alright," she sighed, gazing levelly down into four sets of stormy blue-gray kit eyes. "Now that sun's up and it's a little warmer we can go outside. But you _must_ listen, and stay out of the way of the warriors."

"Will we see Oakheart?" Mistykit ran circles around Bluefur's paws as the queen padded towards the entrance of the nursery.

"If he's not on patrol I'm sure you will," Bluefur purred. She hoped they would—the snowfall had kept him away from the nursery far too long. He hadn't been able to visit since before Mistykit opened her eyes.

Bluefur slipped out of the den and stretched luxuriously, enjoying the weak leaf-bare sunshine and the freedom of the camp.

"Bluefur," Brambleberry called from outside the medicine den, her tail shooting straight up. "Have you brought the kits outside?"

Instead of answering, Bluefur stepped aside and let her litter tumble out behind her into the camp. The snow had been cleared away, leaving chilled, packed earth for them to test their paws on.

"It's so bright!" Shiverkit screwed up her eyes and pushed her face into Bluefur's hingleg while she waited for them to adjust.

"Is this really RiverClan's camp?" Sorrelkit lifted his nose and his stubby tail, inhaling deeply. "There are so many scents…!"

"Yes," Bluefur agreed, "and they all belong to your Clan-mates. Soon enough you'll know the difference between one and the other, and know the name that goes with each and every one." She wrapped her tail around the four kits, stopping them from darting off in every direction. Stonekit and Sorrelkit were practically shaking with the desire to go explore, while Mistykit's whiskers twitched mischievously.

"Can't we go explore?" Stonekit peeked curiously over Bluefur's plumy tail.

"You can," she meowed, "but! You mustn't enter _any_ den unless you are invited and you must stay where I can see you. If you set even a whisker out of line, it's right back into the nursery."

Almost before she'd finished speaking they were off. They scampered and skidded across camp to greet Brambleberry, who purred loud enough for Bluefur to hear from in front of the nursery as they bombarded her with questions. Trusting the medicine cat to keep them occupied for a moment, Bluefur trotted to the fresh-kill pile. She picked a fish for herself and the only water vole in the pile for Willowbreeze. The silver queen was still sleeping, albeit fitfully, when Bluefur pushed her way back into the nursery. Not wanting to wake her, she left the fresh-kill in front of her nest and left again.

Outside, she settled in a patch of watery sunlight to eat her fish, one eye on her litter as they chased after a brittle leaf caught in the wind.

"My, my," Graypool yawned as she pushed her way out of the warrior's den. "Look what finally broke out of the nursery." The lithe gray warrior dipped her head in greeting to Bluefur. "They look healthy enough," she observed with a snort of amusement as Mistykit tripped over her own paws. "Oakheart will be pleased when he gets back."

"Dawn patrol?" Bluefur tilted her head. Graypool nodded.

"I'm about to take a hunting patrol myself; it's a shame you're stuck looking after these scraps. It seems the rest of the Clan have taken to hibernating!"

Bluefur's tail curled. It was only after she'd seen how well Willowbreeze liked her that Graypool had come to accept Bluefur. Bluefur was glad to count Graypool among her friends—the she-cat's sharp tongue and dry sense of humor kept a light atmosphere around her. After sniffing at the fresh-kill pile and rolling her eyes, Graypool slipped back into the warrior's den with an indignant snort.

"Who was that?"

Bluefur started and blinked down at Shiverkit. "Graypool," she answered. "She's a warrior, and Willowbreeze's littermate. Like Mistykit is yours."

"Ohh…" Shiverkit watched with wonder in her eyes as Graypool emerged again, this time followed by Loudbelly and Sedgenose. Almost at once Sedgenose stopped in her tracks.

"The kits," she gasped, whirling to face Bluefur. "They've come out?"

"Obviously," Graypool drawled. "You can see them later, right now there's prey to be caught."

In high spirits, the patrol left, leaving Bluefur purring quietly to herself as she watched her kits continue their small journey. As the sun was nearing its peak, the blue-furred queen stood.

"Kits, come here," she padded to the fresh-kill pile. Seeming to pick up on Bluefur's energy, all four kits ran haphazardly to meet her. With quick, brisk licks Bluefur tugged their fur into a semblance of smoothness, letting out a satisfied growl as she finished just in time for the sedges at the entrance of the camp to start trembling. Sorrelkit chased his tail around Bluefur's paw, and Shiverkit pressed into Stonekit's side.

"Are you ready to meet your father, little ones?" Bluefur gave Mistykit another reassuring lick. Before they could answer, the sedge parted to reveal Oakheart's glossy red pelt. His amber eyes blazed more brightly than the sun when he saw his mate and kits. With his chin high, the big warrior trotted to the fresh-kill pile, followed more slowly by Duskfall and Ottersplash.

"Bluefur," a purr rumbled deep in his chest as he bent and touched his nose to hers. "I'm sorry I haven't…"

Bluefur shook her head. "The Clan's needed you. But it's time for you to meet your kits."

Mistykit squealed in disbelief. " _This_ is our father? He's so big…!"

"He must be the best warrior in the entire Clan!" Sorrelkit growled, shaking his haunches as if he were about to pounce.

"I don't know about that," Oakheart stretched out on his belly, letting their kits clamber over his broad shoulders and sniff him from nose to tail-tip.

Duskfall and Ottersplash exchanged an amused glance before skirting the playful encounter to get fresh-kill. Oakheart glanced up at Bluefur.

"They're brilliant," he winced as Stonekit's kit-sharp claws dug into his tail, but the shimmer of pride didn't leave his eyes. "They really are."

Bluefur touched her nose to the top of his head, too moved by the sight to speak. If ever there was any doubt about her decision, it was all wiped away in that moment. _This is where we belong._

* * *

 **A/N: Please don't be mad that Oakheart hadn't been visiting Bluefur as much after the kits were born- I really love the idea of the dad's meeting their kits once their eyes are opened and just being amazed at how much they've grown and blah blah, and you have to remember that Oakheart is trying to become Crookedstar's deputy- the Clan needs his strength. So yeah, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little update, let me know what you think! I love you guys 3**


	7. Chapter 6

**To my lovely reviewers:**

 **Snowcrystal: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you thought it was a cute chapter :D I hope you like this one as much as the last ^-^**

 **Sierra: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! I wanted to make their acceptance of Bluefur kind of gradual, but still certain. Also I adore Whitepaw, so you can be sure that there will be a LOT of him in this story ;) Thanks again for the review!**

 **Also! Shouts out to those following/favoriting not only this fic, but me! You all are amazing and I hope you also continue enjoying the story!**

 **Chapter 6**

"Sunningrocks is ours, you filthy squirrel-chasers!"

Sedgenose started, looking guiltily at Bluefur, but the blue-gray queen only purred in amusement as she continued grooming the younger she-cat's slightly rounded flank. "It's a miracle Whitepaw enjoys playing with them so much," she joked lightly, "or else I'd never get any time to relax."

Sedgenose relaxed visibly. "It doesn't bother you?"

"I guess not," Bluefur shrugged. "When I decided to cross the river I made the decision to give all my loyalty and strength to RiverClan and my kits, and that's a decision I'm more and more proud of every day."

Sedgenose touched her nose to Bluefur's thick pelt. "We're all glad you did, even if not every cat says so outright." Both queens turned their eyes back to Whitepaw and the litter of kits swarming over him.

"I surrender!" The apprentice cried, laughter in his voice. "Retreat!"

"We won back Sunningrocks!" Sorrelkit cheered jubilantly, abandoning Whitepaw's tail to chase Mistykit in a circle. Soon they were tumbling in a play-fight, only to fetch up against Leopardfur's wide golden paws. They immediately broke apart, and Bluefur braced herself to intercept the warrior if she was angry. The queen was baffled when Leopardfur's eyes flashed in mild amusement at the 2-moon-old kits.

"What's this I hear about my apprentice surrendering?"

"We beat him fair and square!" Mistykit boasted fearlessly.

Sorrelkit fluffed his little tail out, "It was a close one, but we took Sunningrocks back for good this time!"

Bluefur stood quickly and trotted across the clearing. "Sorry if they're being too loud," she cuffed Sorrelkit over the ears as she saw his eyes following Leopardfur's flicking tail-tip. The golden warrior shook her head.

"No," she meowed, "they're fine. Shaping up into fine fighters by the looks of it."

"You have no idea," Whitepaw shook the loose snow from his pelt as he joined his mentor.

 _He's nearly bigger than her,_ Bluefur realized idly. _His warrior ceremony can't be too far off._ She corralled Stonekit with her tail before he could wander out of her sight, and Leopardfur's whiskers twitched.

"You look restless," she observed mildly. "I'm about to take the sunhigh patrol. Why don't you come along and stretch your legs?"

Bluefur blinked incredulously at the warrior. "Are you sure? These four are a pawful…"

Leopardfur shrugged. "Sedgenose needs the practice. Whitepaw, fetch Falconheart."

"Yes, Leopardfur," the apprentice hurried off to the warrior's den, leaving Bluefur standing bewilderedly with Leopardfur.

"Kits, run along to Sedgenose. Do exactly as she says or I'll hear about it." She uttered the last part as a growl, and only once all four kits were nodding obediently did she let them scuttle to the other queen's side. When they were out of ear shot, she turned back to Leopardfur. "Don't get me wrong," she began uncertainly, "I certainly need a break from watching those furballs, but… I never thought you liked me very much."

"I don't like any ThunderClan warrior very much," Leopardfur snorted pointedly. "But if you mean to be my Clan-mate, then I have a loyalty to you just as I have a loyalty to every other warrior I fight and hunt alongside. Oakheart trusts you, our leader and medicine cats have come to trust you, so I will try to trust you and your kits, as well." Her green eyes narrowed into furious slits. "Don't make me feel this loyalty is misplaced."

Bluefur tilted her chin and met Leopardfur's gaze evenly. "I won't," she promised firmly, "as long as you do the same."

Their gazes locked for a long moment, until Leopardfur dipped her head gracefully and turned towards the sedge tunnel. "It looks like Whitepaw and Falconheart are coming."

When the toms joined them, Bluefur fell in step easily behind Leopardfur, content with the talk they'd had. Despite the heavy snow, she felt warm and refreshed. _If I can start to gain my Clan-mates' loyalty just by raising my kits well, just wait until they see me back in the warriors' den…!_ Her tail lashed eagerly at the thought.

"We'll be going down the WindClan border today," Leopardfur called over her shoulder. "When the freeze chases rabbits underground we've got to be certain they keep their scrawny paws off our land."

As they approached the WindClan border, Leopardfur slowed and beckoned Whitepaw to her side. "What can you smell?"

The apprentice sniffed obediently, parting his jaws and closing his eyes. "WindClan," he waved his tail disinterestedly towards the border. "Pretty faint, their sunhigh patrol must be on the ShadowClan border. And…" He swiped his tongue around his jaws. "Mouse."

"Mice," Bluefur corrected with a soft hiss. She crouched low to the ground and angled her ears towards a long-withered tangle of bracken. Whitepaw crouched as well, pulling himself silently forward until a mighty pounce brought him directly on top of one of the small creatures. Bluefur leapt not even a heartbeat later, snagging the fleeing mouse in her claws with a satisfied growl.

"Great catch," Falconheart's feathery tail curled. "You've got a sharp nose, Bluefur."

"Thanks," the queen found herself winded, out of shape from moons spent in the nursery. "Let's keep moving."

With a nod, Leopardfur continued down the border, pausing every so often to renew their scent markers. By the time they were headed back to camp, Bluefur was realizing just how out of shape she'd become. Her breath came in small clouds of mist around the skinny mouse she carried, but she kept her chin and tail high. It wasn't until they passed back through the sedge tunnel and into camp that she let her fatigue show. She could only flick her ears in greeting as she dropped her mouse of the fresh-kill pile.

Graypool snickered in response. "You look like you've run all the way to Highstones and back." A sigh followed her light-hearted remark. "Maybe we should all go, you had more luck than my hunting party."

"It's a rough day for hunting," Bluefur murmured. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Mudfur slipping out of the nursery. "Is Willowbreeze okay? My kits?"

Lying nearby and picking at pitifully thin fish, Duskfall shook his head. "The nursery is fine," he meowed. "But there's whitecough in the camp, so Brambleberry sent Mudfur to give the queens and kits herbs to keep them safe from it. You should have some, too, especially after leaving camp."

Bluefur nodded. "Yes, I'll go straight to Brambleberry's den." Without delay, the blue-gray queen went to the medicine den. Brambleberry let out a relieved sigh when she saw her.

"Perfect, I was about to go looking for you."

"I heard there's whitecough in the camp…?" Bluefur obediently chewed the leaves set in front of her, completely oblivious to their bitter taste.

"Yes," Brambleberry murmured. "Ottersplash. She's been given herbs and is resting in the warrior's den. The elders all have coughs, but I've seen to them, as well. By StarClan's grace we've caught it before it had a chance to take root."

"That's good then," Bluefur tilted her head. Brambleberry seemed distant, even as she nodded.

"Yes," she mewed again. "Yes." She shook her head and turned to Bluefur, suddenly seeming like herself again. "You should rest," she mewed critically. "Leaf-bare is nowhere near done with us and your kits need all the milk you can supply."

Bluefur touched her nose to Brambleberry's flank before mewing a farewell and retreating to the nursery. Willowbreeze and Sedgenose were curled close together, sleeping soundly while Bluefur's litter nestled between their warm flanks. Knowing they would come to her when they were hungry, Bluefur curled up in her own nest, letting sleep crash over her as soon as her chin hit her paws.

* * *

It was a moon later, when the next big freeze took hold of the forest, that Willowbreeze began kitting. Though it was barely dawn, Bluefur had urged her kits awake and ushered them out of the nursery. Whitepaw—now White _claw_ —had been sitting vigil, and watched with wide green eyes as Brambleberry and Mudfur rushed back and forth between the medicine den and nursery. Crookedstar paced. He paced in front of the great willow tree where he made his den and he paced in front of the fresh kill pile. There wasn't a patch of snow that didn't carry a trace of his wide pawsteps. After returning from the evening patrol, Oakheart relieved Whiteclaw and came to Bluefur's side.

"How is it going?" He kept his voice low, knowing that Bluefur had been checking in on Willowbreeze periodically and not wanting to cause Crookedstar any concern.

Bluefur could only shake her head. "She has greencough," she whispered. "I…" She shook her head again. "She's been saying for days now that she'd swallowed a feather and Mudfur's checked each of us for whitecough every day but… Somehow…"

Oakheart pressed his muzzle against hers. "Willowbreeze is strong," he mewed forcefully.

"Oakheart's right," Mistykit piped up from the shelter of Bluefur's front paws. "Willowbreeze is a RiverClan warrior. There's nothing she can't do."

Shiverkit nodded firmly, trembling beside her sister.

"We need to get you kits out of this cold," Bluefur sighed, watching Sorrelkit and Stonekit tussle. Their noses were wet.

"We can take them to the warriors' den. All of the patrols for the day are out." Oakheart ushered Sorrelkit and Stonekit ahead of him, and Bluefur nudged Shiverkit and Mistykit to their paws. She sent a quick prayer to StarClan as settled the kits into Oakheart's nest. _Don't you take her from us, Snowfur… Her kits need her. RiverClan needs her._

* * *

 **Second update in one day... I'm on a roll you guys. I'm unstoppable. If I keep getting positive feedback I may even get another chapter up tonight o.o**

 **Really you guys, thanks for reading. I'm already almost half way through chapter 7, and looking forward to what you all think of how this story is progressing :D There is some draaamaa~ coming soon ^-^ See you all next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Snowcrystal: Thanks for reviewing the new chapter so quickly, you're amazing~! - Really. I appreciate the support and positive feedback more than you know ^-^**

 **Cinderfire16: Thank you for the review! I loooove Whitepaw ;-; I liked him in the original, I was always upset that they put him in the allegiances just to kill him later in the book... Also I'm trying to give Leopardfur a little bit more dimension, you know? I want to develop her into a more rounded character that's (hopefully) a little more likeable xD**

 **Thank you all for reading! I'm already working on Chapter 8~!**

 **Let me know what you think of this chapter if you'd like, I love you all!**

 **Chapter 7**

Bluefur couldn't sleep. She could tell by the terseness in his muscles that Oakheart couldn't either, though the kits had passed out long ago. Every warrior had their eyes or ears strained to the entrance of the warriors' den, because even though Crookedstar had ordered them to get rest, no cat could sleep knowing that Willowbreeze still had not finished her kitting. Finally, Bluefur couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm going to go check on her."

"Bluefur, wait…" Oakheart's meow fell on deaf ears as Bluefur slipped nimbly out of his nest and the warriors' den. Crookedstar was nowhere to be found, and with a jolt of panic, Bluefur raced to the nursery. _No…!_

She nearly collided with Mudfur in the entrance. The former warrior bowed his head as he recognized her. "I was just on my way to fetch you," he murmured. "Willowbreeze asked for you. Come."

Bluefur pushed past the medicine cat apprentice and thrust her way to Willowbreeze's side. Crookedstar lay beside her, drawing his tongue gently across her ears.

"Willowbreeze…" Bluefur crouched in front of her friend, her eyes dark with worry. "How do you feel?"

The pretty tabby cracked open her amber eyes, and Bluefur was taken aback by the joy within them. "Aren't our kits… aren't they beautiful?" Her meow was little more than a raspy breath. Bluefur ducked her head to examine the kits. Two, she realized, were still—already among StarClan's ranks.

"They're perfect," Bluefur choked out.

Willowbreeze purred raggedly. "I'll join them soon," she whispered. "But…" Her exhausted gaze fell to her surviving kit, a tiny silver she-cat that shone like moonlight beside her brown-furred siblings. "It will be a long time before Silverkit joins us, so I…" She broke off into a fit of coughing. Crookedstar redoubled his soothing licks, casting a desperate glance at Brambleberry. But the medicine cat sat to the side, her head bowed and her eyes resigned.

When she'd recovered her breath, Willowbreeze met Bluefur's gaze again. "I'd like for you to nurse her, Bluefur. I know that's… I know it's asking a lot, because you've already got four to feed, but…"

Bluefur slapped her tail across the silver queen's muzzle. "How could I say no?" She bowed her head to lick the soft fur between Willowbreeze's ear. "You were my first friend in RiverClan, I don't think I could have ever made it to where I am now without you, Willowbreeze. I would do anything for you."

Relief tempered the fatigue in Willowbreeze's eyes. "Thank you, Bluefur…"

Crookedstar echoed her, bowing his head, "Thank you."

Bluefur stayed with them until Willowbreeze's final moment, and when Graypool came to help Mudfur carry her body out of the nursery, Bluefur slipped into the queen's nest and curled around the tiny remaining kit.

"Hush now," she crooned gently. "Willowbreeze will always be with us, watching from Silverpelt. There's no need to cry, little one." When she'd settled and begun nursing, Oakheart stuck his head in. His eyes were dark and swirled with too many emotions to name.

"Sedgenose is with the kits," he murmured. The great warrior padded to her side, his eyes softening as he gazed at the tiny she-kit. "Does she have a name?"

"Yes," answered Bluefur. "Willowbreeze named her Silverkit."

"I'm sorry," he mewed softly. "I know you two were close… The whole of RiverClan mourns her loss."

"She wouldn't want us to mourn too long," Bluefur swallowed hard, feeling fresh sorrow bubbling in her chest. "She is among our ancestors now, with my sister and her other two kits. And part of her lives on in Silverkit."

"And in all of us," Oakheart added. "Because we will never forget her."

 _We will meet again, Willowbreeze, hunting among the stars…_

* * *

Oakheart woke with a sneeze that left his whiskers trembling. Pricking his ears curiously, the reddish brown warrior shoulders his way out of the warriors' den. His heart soared at the breeze that greeted him. _The first thaw is coming!_ He shook the stray pieces of reads and bracken from his broad shoulders and padded to greet Timberfur at the fresh-kill pile. The old warrior looked a little younger, he realized, though the gray in his muzzle shone in the pre-dawn light.

"Thaw's coming," Oakheart rumbled in greeting. "Big plans for the patrols today?"

Timberfur nodded. "Big hunting plans," he agreed. "The river will be full of fish."

Oakheart's focus drifted away from the old deputy as a bundle of silver fur cannoned out of the nursery. It was followed closely by a frantic Mistykit.

"Wait, Silverkit! Bluefur will have our tails if she wakes up and we've left the nursery!"

Sorrelkit strolled out behind his sister, his tail curled and his whisker twitching. Oakheart was ready to intercept the ever-energetic Silverkit when she fetched up on something else. Oakheart's ears pricked curiously. It had been nearly two moons since Silverkit had been born, and Crookedstar had avoided her devoutly. Now, as she blinked up at him through curious green eyes—the same green as his own—Oakheart wondered where his brother could possibly hide.

"Sorry Crookedstar!" Mistykit caught up to them before Crookedstar regained his composure.

 _He would be shocked,_ Oakheart thought bitterly, _he's never been to the nursery to even see that she looks just like Willowbreeze._

Stonekit came trotting up behind them, casting a glare at Sorrelkit over his shoulder. "We're going back to the nursery," he explained apologetically, ushering Silverkit ahead of him with a gentle nudge. He added in an undertone to Mistykit, "Bluefur isn't pleased!"

With a lash of his tail, Oakheart joined his brother beneath the arching roots of the great willow. "What in StarClan's name was that?"

Crookedstar started, as if he hadn't seen Oakheart stalking towards him. Instead of answering, he looked away.

"Crookedstar, you're acting like spoiled apprentice!" Duskfall and Loudbelly looked up curiously from the fresh-kill pile. Oakheart swept on, heedless of who saw or heard him speaking to their Clan leader. "Worse," he corrected himself bitterly. "You're acting like Rainflower."

Crookedstar's claws glinted in the sunlight. "Don't compare me to her," he growled softly. "I…"

"You what?" Oakheart challenged him. "You're ignoring Silverkit like she's made of smoke. Do you remember how it felt when Rainflower abandoned you? How you longed for family that refused to acknowledge you?"

Without any warning, Crookedstar lunged. Oakheart was bowled off his paws, but didn't let his brother keep the advantage. He let their weight carry them over and over until he managed to spring away. Crokkedstar was on him again like lightning, but Oakheart was ready this time. He spit defiantly as he dodged blow after blow, keeping his claws sheathed as he rounded on his leader in an attack of his own.

"It's not fair to Silverkit," he growled furiously. "And it's not fair to Willowbreeze!"

He felt the familiar sting of claws as his brother swiped at his ear, and scarlet drops spun from his head as he shook it with an irate snarl. Before he could retaliate, something shouldered in between them.

"Do you both have minnows for brains?" Bluefur swept a gaze as cold as ice between the two toms. Oakheart made a mental note to congratulate her on using a RiverClan figure of speech. He glanced guiltily to the side and saw Silverkit cowering between her adopted brothers while Shiverkit tried to sooth her. Crookedstar looked as if he had seen the sun for the first time.

"Go on," Oakheart stepped around his mate to give Crookedstar an encouraging head-butt. "Apologize and introduce yourself. She needs you."

He watched fondly as his brother approached the kits. "I'm sorry, little one," he rumbled softly. "I didn't mean to scare you. It wasn't a real fight—we were only playing."

"You're Crookedstar," Silverkit mewled with wonder.

"Yes," Crookedstar dipped his head. "And I'm your father."

Fear forgotten, Silverkit jumped straight into the air. "You _are_?!" She spun to face Bluefur. "Is he really?"

Oakheart paws tingled with fresh affectionate for his mate when he saw her eyes soften. "Yes, Silverkit," she mewed, vague amusement layering her tones. "He loved Willowbreeze more than any cat in the _entire_ forest, and that's how you came about."

Stonekit scrunched his nose. "Eww."

"I think it's cute," Mistykit sighed dreamily.

"Whoa, whoa," Oakheart fixed his daughter with a stern look. "You're a hundred moons too young to think about stuff like that."

Bluefur rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright, back to the nursery. Silverkit has to eat before you start playing."

Sighs and complaints followed Bluefur all the way back to the nursery, leaving Crookedstar and Oakheart alone near the edge of the camp.

"Thank you."

Oakheart shrugged. "It's what littermates are for. I'll always do what I think is best for you, Crookedstar, no matter what rank you hold in our Clan." He red-furred warrior flicked his ears. "Speaking of doing what's best… the thaw is here."

"I can feel it," Crookedstar agreed, flexing his shoulders. "It's time to take Sunningrocks back."


	9. Chapter 8

**To my dearest reviewers:**

 **BlueSkyz: Tbh I'm not used to it myself, I have no idea where all this inspiration came from - but I'm just going to keep rolling with it ^-^ thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! I hope you continue to enjoy this fic!**

 **Snowcrystal: I really enjoy Oakheart (if you can't tell xD). Which reminds me! Thank you so much no just for your reviews here, but for all of your reviews on 'The Brightest Fire'! I woke up this morning and nearly dropped my phone on my face when I got all of the emails! You are amazing, and I hope you continue enjoying both of these fics!**

 **StormtheGreat: I got so excited when I got your review the other night! Tbh yours was what made me go back and read all the others, and then inspiration hit me and the rest is history xD and I really wanted to let Willowbreeze live. I really did. But I think that her death is important to Crookedstar's character development (and Bluefur's) that I just had to let her go to StarClan. I'm so sorry ;-; But I'm glad you've enjoyed the updates, and I hope you continue to do so!**

 **SierraStanley: I'm so glad you enjoyed it! There will be encounters with Whitestorm a weee bit later on, but that's spoiler-y so I'ma just stop there ;) thank you again for reviewing, I appreciate all of your support!**

 **Chapter 8**

Oakheart swiped his tongue around his jaws with a content growl. Bluefur was stretched out beside him, her pelt shimmering like the river itself in the new-leaf sunlight. Not two tail-lengths away, Sorrelkit and Mistykit rolled about in a tangle of legs and mock growls while Stonekit and Shiverkit played mossball with their adopted sister, Silverkit.

"They'll be apprentices soon," Bluefur observed proudly, her tail twining lazily with Oakheart's.

"It seems like just yesterday they left the nursery for the first time," Oakheart purred. Bluefur was right—they were five moons old, and thriving in the gradual shift from leaf-bare to new-leaf.

"Mhm," Bluefur hummed. She pricked her ears as Crookedstar padded out of his den. His shoulders were set in determination. Oakheart felt the same resolve in his own heart. _It's time._

The red warrior stood. "We'll be leaving soon," he rumbled.

"I know." Bluefur sat up beside him, her eyes narrowing. "I only wish I could fight alongside you."

"Next time," Oakheart promised, his whiskers twitching.

"Oh?" A playful gleam crept into Bluefur's eyes. "You mean we'll have to win sunningrocks back again after this? You intend to give it up?"

Oakheart let out a playful hiss and swatted half-heartedly at his mate. "Hush," he growled. "We'll be back before you can say 'minnow.'"

Touching his nose to hers one last time, Oakheart joined his brother and Timberfur at the center of the camp. Crookedstar greeted him with wave of his tail before raising his voice, "Let all cats old enough to swim gather for a Clan meeting."

Most of the warriors were already coming to stand around their leader. Excitement filled the air between them like lightning, crackling from pelt to pelt and filling their eyes with a hunger for action.

"It's time." Cheers and yowls followed the simple statement, and Crookedstar made no effort to quiet them. When he could be heard again, he continued, "I will lead the first battle party myself, Timberfur will lead the second. With me will be Oakheart, Duskfall, Graypool, and Leopardfur. With Timberfur will be Ottersplash and Whiteclaw. Rainclaw, Loudbelly, and Falconheart, you will make up a third party. On my first signal, Timberfur will lead his reinforcements into the battle. At this time, Rainclaw will lead his patrol around the back of sunningrocks and wait for my second signal. Intercept any messengers or reinforcements, and when you're needed in battle I will give my second signal. Does every cat understand?"

A chorus of affirmation rippled through their ranks. Without another word, Crookedstar turned and plunged into the sedge tunnel. Oakheart matched his brother step-for-step as they raced through their territory. The rest of their patrol fell in behind them, quiet and focused, flickering like fish through the sparse undergrowth. They needed no signal when they reached the river. They entered as one, paddling strongly against the thaw-strengthened current and emerging sleek and strong on the other side. Timberfur's reinforcements stayed hidden in the reeds on the other side of the river, and Rainclaw led his patrol to a better vantage point upstream.

Oakheart sighed as he padded onto the sunlit stones. "I've missed this," he didn't bother to shake the water from his thick pelt. He joined his Clan-mates in pushing the border markers back, making sure all of Sunningrocks carried the fresh, familiar scent of RiverClan.

Duskfall's ears pricked suddenly. "Sunhigh patrol," he hissed.

"I smell them," Crookedstar growled. They fell into a line, claws unsheathed and teeth bared as a ThunderClan patrol burst through the trees.

"Crookedstar!" A spiky furred gray-and-white tom headed the patrol, his amber eyes blazing. Oakheart recognized Thistleclaw. "Get off our land or see it colored by your Clan-mates' blood."

Oakheart curled his lip into a snarl. "Haven't you got a nose? This is RiverClan territory now, you mangy hedgehog."

"I recognize you!" The big tabby beside Thistleclaw crowed, his eyes blazing suddenly. "You're the filth that _traitor_ left ThunderClan for! What I wouldn't give to shred that crow-food eating…"

With a furious caterwaul, Oakheart lunged, his claws outstretched. He was met half-way by the big tabby, but his great momentum gave him the advantage. Beside him, he heard his Clan-mates falling into battles of their own. _We have them outnumbered!_ Oakheart dug his claws into the big tabby's shoulders as he pinned him. Anticipating it before it happened, Oakeart sprang aside as the tabby—he recognized him as Thistleclaw's former apprentice, Tigerclaw—erupted upwards. He jumped higher than he meant to without Oakheart's added weight, and as he tried to land on his paws the RiverClan warrior darted forward and thrust his shoulder beneath his side, sending him sprawling. He lunged again, raking his claws across his backpedaling opponent's ears.

"Don't _ever_ talk about Bluefur," he hissed mutinously. Tigerclaw lifted onto his hindlegs, hoping to bring his weight down on Oakheart's shoulders, but Oakheart saw through it again. Slippery as a fish he dashed between Tigerclaw's hindlegs and clamped his jaws around his tail. With a firm tug he pulled him over and leapt on top of him again. They rolled over and over, but in the end Tigerclaw's imposing size couldn't match Oakheart's experience. He sent the brute wailing into the trees, pausing to spit a few insults after him before shaking the blood from his ears and jumping back into the fray.

Crookedstar and Thistleclaw were nowhere to be found, but Oakheart heard his brother's signal, and saw Timberfur plunge into the river with his reinforcements. _We've still got the advantage._ Oakheart spun and caught sight of Graypool pinned beneath a white ThunderClan warrior. He dodged through the battle to her aid, gripping the white warrior's scruff and tearing him away. Graypool rounded on him in an instant, slashing mercilessly into his exposed belly until Oakheart finally let him struggle free and hurtle into the woods. _No reinforcements. Rainclaw must be holding up well._ Exchanging a triumphant glance with Graypool, Oakheart wheeled around with her and lunged after their next enemy.

"Thistleclaw!" The gray-and-white warrior was sent skidding to a halt on the bloody stones. A ThunderClan she-cat hurried to his side, limping heavily. "We've lost, Thistleclaw, we must retreat…!"

Thistleclaw staggered to his paws with a hiss. "This isn't the end of this," he rasped. "Just you wait…!"

Crookedstar lifted his head. "This is RiverClan territory," he sneered. "Crawl back to your trees and lick your wounds before we chase you out."

With one last defiant glare, the ThunderClan warrior spun unsteadily and charged away into the trees, the she-cat hot on his tail.

For a moment, there was quiet. Then Whiteclaw erupted from the trees with a triumphant caterwaul, and all of the battle party took it up. Crookedstar weaved through their ranks, his green eyes bright with pride and the rush of battle.

"You all fought brilliantly," he growled. "Now we must return to camp and share the news."

With another victory yowl, Crookedstar turned and led the race back to camp. The exploded through the sedge tunnel with their chins and tail high.

"Welcome back," Owlfur called from the sunny spot outside the elders' den. Lilystem sighed contently from her place beside the old tom.

"I smell victory."

"Well-scented," Ottersplash crowed with a toss of her head.

Sorrelkit and Stonekit were at Oakheart's paws in a heart-beat.

"Did you win?"

"Are you hurt?"

"Is that cut painful?"

"How many warriors did you fight?"

With a gruff purr, Oakheart slapped his tail over both of the kits' muzzles. "We won," he told them.

"We won!" Sorrelkit let out a mighty cry. "Let's go tell Sedgenose!" Mistykit met her brothers halfway, only to let out a squeal and join them on their way back to the nursery. Bluefur rolled her eyes as she approached, Shiverkit and Silverkit trailing after her.

"I heard that you won," she mewed dryly.

"Word sure travels fast," Oakheart snorted and touched his nose to hers. His mate drew her tongue across one of his deeper wounds.

"Thistleclaw?" She guessed.

Oakheart shook his head. "That apprentice of his, Tigerclaw. I see where he earned the name."

Despite the humor in his voice, Bluefur's eyes grew dark. With a forceful shake of her head, she cleared her thoughts—and her eyes. "I assume you sent him running back to the nursery?"

"Naturally."

Nearby, Graypool snorted as she licked her wounds clean. "It was a good battle," she meowed. "It's a shame you missed it, Bluefur."

"I don't know," Whiteclaw joked. "According to Thistleclaw, 'This isn't over.' I'm sure you'll get to flex your claws, Bluefur."

Bluefur unsheathed her claws, feeling a rush of excitement she hadn't felt in moons. It wasn't about spilling blood, or claiming territory—it was about the loyalty she felt for her Clan-mates, and the burning desire in her heart to prove herself to them. "I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

 **It's probably not the best battle scene that I've ever written, but I wanted to emphasize that Tigerclaw (while always clever) always seemed to just rely on brute force in battle, leading to his downfall multiple times to smaller, faster cats. I wanted it to be apparent how young he is, and how inexperienced. Also I just really love watching ThunderClan lose every now and again xD**

 **Anyways**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even though it's a little shorter than some of the others. Much love; see you all next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Snowcrystal: Really? Ahhh that makes me so happy ^-^ I hope you're enjoying the others! Also thank you, I always feel like my fighting scenes are a little bland, so I appreciate the positive feedback :D**

 **StormtheGreat: Thank you! I'm glad that makes sense ^-^''' I just always feel like my fighting scenes are lacking, so I make a point to try to make all of them different in some way :D**

 **Thank you all for reading! Next chapter I'll have some big questions for you all, so I hope you're ready! ;)**

 **Chapter 9**

Sparkling drops spun and caught in the early sunlight as a silver fish flopped onto the pebbly shore.

"Quick," Whiteclaw urged, "finish it off before it jumps back in the water!"

Bluefur pounced after the fish with vigor, letting out a pleased purr. It was her first fish.

Graypool looked as proud as if she was Bluefur's mentor. "Well done! A little sloppy, but… hey, it'll feed a cat or two."

Whiteclaw's tail curled in delight. "You'll be one of our best hunters in no time," he insisted cheerfully.

Bluefur blinked gratefully at the young warrior before glancing at the sun. "We should get going before the sun gets much higher. Today is a big day after all."

Graypool shrugged easily. "Sure, let's go."

They all gathered their prey and started trekking back to camp. Bluefur's heart thrummed in her chest like a trapped hummingbird. Today was the day—her kits were becoming apprentices. It wasn't just a big day for them though, it was a big day for Bluefur, too. She would begin her own training, learning all of the basics of being a RiverClan warrior—like swimming.

A chill passed through her pelt as Goosefeather's prophecy echoed in her head. _Water will destroy you._ Her fish almost slipped from her jaws as she shook her head, clearing the irrational fears from her mind. _You've left all of that behind you. There is no 'fire.'_

The blue-gray queen tilted her chin proudly as she followed Graypool into camp, showing off her kill for any who hadn't left on patrol. Loudbelly was sharing tongues with Falconheart near the warriors' den, and his whiskers twitched as he caught sight of her.

"Not bad, Bluefur!" The brown warrior called, his tail curling.

"Bluefur's back!" Mistykit burst out of the elder's den, her tail sticking straight up. Her siblings weren't far behind her.

"You went hunting?" Shiverkit sniffed curiously at the fish, her eyes—which had faded from their kit-blue to a pale amber—were wide with wonder.

Sorrelkit nosed his sister aside. "Did you hear? We're going to be made apprentices! _Today_."

"Yes," Bluefur purred. "I heard."

Stonekit blinked curiously at her. "Do you know who our mentors will be?" His eyes—the same shade of amber as Oakheart's—wandered to Whiteclaw. The young warrior seemed to notice, and shook his head apologetically.

"Sorry Stonekit, I don't think I'll be given an apprentice of my own for a long while yet."

"You'll just have to wait and see," Bluefur told the eager kits. "Now settle down and smooth your fur out before I do it for you; you should look nice for your ceremony."

Sorrelkit opened his mouth as if he were going to object, but one stern look set him to licking. By sunhigh, all four kits' pelts were shining. Oakheart came in from the dawn patrol with a spring to his step, his chest already puffed out in pride, Duskfall and Leopardfur following quickly.

Just as the Clan started to gather in the center of the camp, Crookedstar emerged from his den. Glancing fondly at the kits as they scrambled to get to the front of the crowd, he leapt onto one of the Great Willow's roots. "Let all cats old enough to swim gather here for a Clan meeting!" The summons were hardly necessary as the last few cats took places. Sedgenose poked her head drowsily out of the nursery, and Silverkit sat in the entrance, envy coloring her green eyes. "It's come to my attention that four young kits are ready to take their places as apprentices." His gaze swept across the four kits and came to a halt on Stonekit.

"Stonekit, step forward." Stonekit obeyed quickly. Of the four, he was the calmest and most level-headed, constantly explaining to his more rambunctious siblings why their ideas were bad ones—and occasionally helping them come up with better ones. "From this day, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Stonepaw. Duskfall, you are more than ready for another apprentice. I trust you will pass all of your forethought and skill to young Stonepaw."

As the black warrior stepped forward and touched noses with Stonepaw, Bluefur felt satisfaction warming her heart. _An excellent choice._

"Mistykit, come forward." Mistykit was perhaps the most mischievous, not because she got them into trouble, but because of her ability to get her littermates _out_ of trouble, _She'll be a pawful…!_ "From this day, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Mistypaw. Loudbelly, Oakheart trained you well, and you have proven yourself ready for your first apprentice. Share with Mistypaw all of your strength and dedication."

Loudbelly looked almost more excited than Mistypaw as he came forward. She jammed her nose energetically to his, leading to a ripple of amused purrs passing through the Clan.

"Sorrelkit," Crookedstar went on with a shake of his head. "Come forward." The head of operations. Sorrelkit had always been adventurous and bold. He was always charging off into something, and almost every time it was something he shouldn't be getting into. "From this moment, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Sorrelpaw. Leopardfur, you did brilliantly with Whiteclaw, and I think it's time you took your second apprentice. Pass on all of your courage and discipline to young Sorrelpaw."

 _Leopardfur is perfect for him,_ Bluefur thought with twitching whiskers. _They'll definitely challenge each other…!_

Shiverkit quivered as Crookedstar's warm gaze fell on her. "Step forward, Shiverkit." Shiverkit was the most soft-spoken. She stayed back when her siblings rushed ahead, often preferring to watch and listen to everything that went on around her. "From this moment, until you have earned you warrior name, you will be known as Shiverpaw. Graypool, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of honesty and independence. Share all you know with young Shiverpaw."

Graypool padded to stand before Shiverpaw with her tail high. She touched her nose delicately to her timid apprentice's, and the Clan erupted into cheers.

"Stonepaw! Mistypaw! Sorrelpaw! Shiverpaw!"

Bluefur pressed forward to congratulate her kits, a purr shaking her whole frame as she greeted them by their new names. She was aware of Oakheart right beside her, his sleek red pelt brushing hers as he rumbled words of encouragement to their kits.

As RiverClan began splitting into their duties again, Bluefur felt a playful nudge at her side. She looked blinked curiously at Oakheart.

"Let's go," he murmured, beckoning with his ears to the sedge tunnel.

With a roll of her eyes and an affectionate purr, Bluefur followed her mate out of their camp. They walked for a while, winding through the fresh green undergrowth and enjoying the gentle breeze. Their pelts brushed and their tails twined.

"Do you remember," Oakheart finally meowed, "when we met at Fourtrees?"

"How could I forget?

Oakheart's whiskers twitched. "I am pretty memorable."

Bluefur hissed playfully and swatted at the tom's ears. "Oh put a fish in it. What's your point? Are you going to get nostalgic on me?"

"Maybe." The red-furred warrior teased. "I was just remembering how you taught me to climb trees."

"What about it?" Bluefur's pelt started prickling as they approached the river. Sunlight danced off of the lazy ripples and set the water shimmering. It would have been a beautiful sight if not for the sneaking suspicion blossoming in Bluefur's stomach.

"Well I offered to be your mentor," Oakheart danced delicately around the point he was trying to make, drawing out the inevitable. "So I thought perhaps it was time."

"Time for…?" Bluefur sank her claws anxiously into the sand.

"Time for me to finally make good on my end of that deal we made in Fourtrees. Today, Bluefur, you're going to learn how to swim."

* * *

"No."

Oakheart couldn't keep his whiskers from twitching. "That's not exactly an option, Bluefur." He gave her a firm nudge towards the water's edge. "Don't worry, I'm right here with you. Nothing's going to happen to you." One stiff paw-step at a time, Bluefur stalked to the shallows. Her hackles bristled as the water lapped at her paws.

Oakheart splashed easily to her side. "Relax," he urged her softly. "Sheath your claws, the water isn't going to attack you." He drew his tongue over her shoulder once or twice, letting the blue-furred warrior adjust to the cool water. "Are you ready?"

Significantly more calm, Bluefur nodded. "I think so."

"Good." Oakheart waded out a little deeper, enjoying the feel of the current tugging at his belly fur. "Wade out until you almost can't touch the bottom," he instructed her. "When you reach that point, tell me."

With her eyes narrowed to focused slits, Bluefur did as she was told. When the water was nearly splashing over her back she let out a growl, "If I take another step I'm going to go under."

"No you won't," Oakheart rolled his eyes. He was just a tail-length ahead of her, nearly having to swim himself. "You'll swim. Just spread your paws as wide as you can and kick, it'll come easily to you."

After taking a deep breath, Bluefur surged forward, kicking out desperately.

"Keep your eyes on me," Oakheart called. "You're doing great."

Her head only went under twice, and both times she'd resurfaced before Oakheart had been able to jump to her aid. When she reached him, he thrust his shoulder under hers and helped her paddle unsteadily back to the shallows. Bluefur staggered ashore and flopped over, panting.

"I'm still… out of shape…"

Oakheart let out a _mrrow_ of laughter. "You can say that again." He crouched beside his exhausted mate and gave her a few rough licks. "You did brilliantly though, just like I thought you would. You'll be swimming to Sunningrocks in no time."

"In your dreams…" Bluefur wheezed half-heartedly. She sat up slowly. For a moment it looked as if she was about to say something, but a rustling on the other side of the river drew her gaze. Oakheart narrowed his eyes and stood, squaring his shoulders as a cat padded lightly out onto the Sunningrocks.

"ThunderClan," he growled, unsheathing his claws. He launched back into the river like an otter, swimming quickly to the other side. He heard Bluefur hiss something behind him, but he ignored her. As he stalked up to the smooth gray stones, he was surprised when Bluefur nearly barreled into his side.

"Don't," she nudged him behind a rock. "Don't. That's… that's ThunderClan's medicine cat."

Oakheart glanced sharply at his mate. There was something different in her eyes, something dark and unfamiliar. "And…?" He hissed softly. "He's trespassing."

"Oakheart I know you've heard at the Gatherings, every cat knows he's half-mad."

Before Oakheart could answer, the old medicine cat started meowing. "Half-mad? That sounds about right. But doesn't that mean I'm also half-sane?" There was a touch amusement in his voice, grating and taunting.

With a growl, Oakheart stepped out of their hiding spot. "I don't know what you're babbling about, but Sunningrocks belongs to RiverClan. Medicine cat or not, you shouldn't be here."

"I thought I scented traitor," Goosefeather's eyes sparked with glee. "Is _this_ the water that's going to destroy you?"

Bluefur stepped reluctantly to Oakheart's side, her wet fur bristling. "You heard him, Goosefeather. Leave."

"I don't think I will." The ragged old tom sat and twisted to groom his tail. "I've chased this cat off once, I'd think I could do it again."

In a flash of white-hot fury Oakheart remembered—it had been Goosefeather's fault that Crookedstar had fallen and broken his jaw. The red-furred warrior unsheathed his claws and scraped them along the stones. "This is your last warning, you muttering fool."

"Wait…!" Two cats burst out of the trees, one—a large white tom—Oakheart recognized from battle, the other he thought he had seen at Gatherings, with a feathery silver pelt and a long, plumy tail. The silver tom took a stance in front of Goosefeather, though it was clear by his slight build that he was a medicine cat—Featherwhisker, Oakheart recalled. "Don't harm him," he began, "Goosefeather's just…"

"Bluefur?" The white warrior stepped forward, wonder blossoming in his sandy yellow eyes.

"Hello, Whitestorm," Bluefur relaxed her shoulders. "How's the prey running?"

The white warrior shook his head, then padded forward to touch noses with Oakheart's mate. Oakheart flattened his ears, but didn't speak. He knew Whitestorm to be Bluefur's kin; the kit she had raised when her sister died.

"You look well," he rumbled. "I never dreamed that I'd see you with wet fur."

Featherwhisker's panic died down a little, and he, too, stepped forward to greet Bluefur more warmly. "I'm glad to see you're okay," he murmured. "We've looked for you at Gatherings, but…" The toms exchanged a glance, so quickly Oakheart nearly missed it.

"She's been in the nursery," Oakheart explained. He sheathed his claws, but he kept one eye on Goosefeather. "It won't be long now before she's seen at Gatherings. Our kits _were_ just apprenticed, after all."

"That's great news," joy tempered the sorrow in Whitestorm's eyes. "I look forward to meeting them."

Bluefur purred, a soft, motherly sound. "I'll be sure to introduce you."

"But," Oakheart cut in, "that's talk best saved for the truce of a full moon. If another RiverClan patrol comes along we'll all be in trouble. Leave now, and make sure Goosefeather knows the borders."

"Of course," Featherwhisker dipped his head. He turned and ushered Goosefeather ahead of him like a queen might herd a fretful kit. Whitestorm lingered a moment longer, sharing one last look with Bluefur before following the medicine cats into the trees. A shiver rippled down Bluefur's spine as the undergrowth swallowed the ThunderClan cats.

Concerned, Oakheart swept his tail down her flank. "Are you alright?" He nosed her ear. "What in StarClan's name was that old badger talking about?"

"Nothing," Bluefur muttered. "I'm sure it was nothing." She turned away before Oakheart could ask any more, padding to the stepping stones and leaping nimbly across. Oakheart swam to the other side, letting his paws take over as his mind tried to wrap around the strange encounter. In the end, nothing added up—but there was no mistaking the haunted look in Bluefur's eyes, or the way she so firmly shook it from her features. _Whatever it is,_ Oakheart mused, _she won't face it alone. All of RiverClan will fight alongside her._

* * *

 **So I discovered that I really like using Oakheart's POV. Oops. xD**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! See you all next time!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Snowcrystal: I'm glad you're enjoying it! Also I hope you're having fun on vacation! I've only been on an actual "vacation" once, and I loved it!**

 **Chapter 10**

Bluefur flattened her ears and hissed, narrowing her eyes at the opponent before her. For his part, Loudbelly looked unfazed. His tail lashed from side to side as he waited on her to make her move. Finally, she lunged. Loudbelly moved to sidestep her, and Bluefur spun on her front paws, not letting him get away from her. He cuffed her over the ear and Silverpelt danced in her eyes. Bluefur recovered with a quick shake of her head and attacked again, dodging his heavy blow and unbalancing him as she flitted past. Taking advantage, she tangled her forepaws with his hindpaws and pulled him to the ground. They tumbled over and over until Bluefur pushed her opponent into the ground, one forepaw on his neck.

"Well done!" Oakheart jumped to his paws, his whiskers twitching. Mistypaw bounced to her mentor's side as Bluefur let him up.

"That was amazing," she meowed eagerly. "Will you teach me that move? The one with your hind legs?"

"Sure," Loudbelly shook the dust from his pelt. "We'll battle train some more tomorrow. For now," he glanced at Oakheart, who nodded.

"Go meet the sunhigh patrol," he agreed. "Leopardfur's probably already waiting."

As the mentor and apprentice trotted away, Oakheart met his mate in the middle of the training clearing,

"Well?" Bluefur tilted her chin up proudly.

"You still can't beat me," Oakheart teased, "but I think you're ready to go to your first Gathering."

The thought sent a thrill through Bluefur's veins. She'd been working harder than she could ever remember working through the past moon; she'd learned to swim, how to dive for the juiciest fish, and how to fight alongside her Clan-mates in such a way that no cat could tell she wasn't born to RiverClan. She felt ready to see her old friends, even if they would be enemies when the moon set again.

"I think Crookedstar means to allow two of our kits to come, as well, but he hasn't told me which ones." Oakheart strolled to the edge of the clearing as he spoke, his tail waving.

"Really?" Bluestar felt a flash of pride. Her kits had been training nearly harder than she had—it would be hard for Crookedstar to decide which ones to take. "RiverClan will pose a strong force at this Gathering."

"We will," Oakheart features tugged into a smug expression. "With the showing we'll make, ThunderClan should think twice before trying to take Sunningrocks back."

Bluefur let out a satisfied purr in response, padding easily next to her mate as they made their way back to camp. They hunted along the way, unwilling to return empty-pawed when the new-leaf prey made itself so readily available.

By the time they reached the island Bluefur had a finch and a vole, and Oakheart carried a water vole that could easily feed two cats. Bluefur deposited her catch on the fresh-kill pile, but Oakheart kept his, asking her to share with him with a flick of his ears towards the warriors' den. Bluefur followed him to the sunny patch gladly, her stomach rumbling after a long morning spent working on battle training.

"It doesn't get better than this," Oakheart purred, stretching out and swiping his tongue around his lips.

Bluefur could only hum an agreement and she took the first bite of their meal. He was right, she realized as they ate. An air of peace filled RiverClan's camp. Milk-scent hung around the nursery, Sedgenose having kitted only two sunrises ago. Stonepaw searched the elders for ticks as they sunbathed, Silverkit tucked against Lilystem's belly as the old queen told tales of LeopardClan. Graypool was returning from a hunting patrol, Shiverpaw struggling behind her mentor with a fish nearly as big as she was. Whiteclaw followed them closely, his own jaws laden with fresh-kill and his green eyes sparking with amusement and sympathy every time Shiverpaw stumbled. Crookedstar watched over the camp from the shade of the Great Willow's roots, his gaze calm and contemplative.

"Thank you, Oakheart."

The red-furred warrior glanced at her, laughter and curiosity in his amber eyes. "What for? Being a great mentor?" He sat up and started grooming her still-ruffled fur.

"For asking me to come to RiverClan."

Oakheart froze, his tongue half-out. When the words finally processed, a thunderous purr rumbled in his chest. "Thank you for coming." He touched his nose to the top of her head. "I meant it," he murmured, so softly she almost didn't hear, "when I said I needed you. I still mean it now."

Bluefur pressed her muzzle into his chest fur. "I know," she hummed. _It's mutual. I never could have made it without you, and without Willowbreeze. So thank you…_

Oakheart stood at Bluefur's shoulder as they waited for the last of the Gathering patrol to join them. Crookedstar sat patiently at the entrance, and Graypool stood on Bluefur's other side. Shiverpaw hovered anxiously near her mentor, Whiteclaw at her side. He was chatting quietly with her, his tail-tip occasionally brushing her flank in a small gesture of reassurance. Sorrelpaw looked ready to spring out of his fur. He worked his claws in the ground as he stood by Leopardfur. She looked mildly amused with her eager apprentice, rolling her eyes when he asked for the hundredth time when they would _finally_ leave. When at last Brambleberry and Mudfur joined them, Crookedstar raised his tail and the patrol filed out of the camp.

The sky was clear, and the full moon stained everything its light touched silver. Bluefur couldn't help the gasp that escaped her when they approached the river. It looked to be made of starlight, sparkling as it splashed and rippled towards the gorge. It was beautiful, and Bluefur found that—truly—she loved it. She loved the fine mist that rose from it as they crossed the twoleg bridge, leaving tiny pearls of waters on her blue-gray coat; she loved the fish that came from it, and the shells and stones, and some days she even truly enjoyed swimming.

Amused with how taken Bluefur was, Oakheart pressed his flank to hers. "It's a different sight from this side, isn't it?"

With purr, Bluefur murmured back, "Not from this side, from your side. Standing beside you makes everything more beautiful."

Oakheart seemed to choke on the breath he was taking. When he'd recovered, his whiskers were twitching. "That's my line," he hissed playfully.

Conversation ebbed as they approached Fourtrees. Crookedstar stopped at the edge of the hollow for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, and then raised his tail and plunged through the undergrowth out into the sacred clearing. RiverClan streamed out behind him and into the mix of gathered cats.

By the looks of things, only WindClan had arrived. Bluefur found herself with Leopardfur, listening to the dappled golden she-cat recount a border skirmish with ThunderClan—another victory for RiverClan. The two WindClan warriors looked impressed, and both commented on how strong and healthy Sorrelpaw looked. The red-furred apprentice took the praise with a gracious dip of his head, though after that encounter he strutted about as if he had just been made a warrior.

A mighty yowl announced ThunderClan's arrival, and Bluefur felt her heart stutter in her chest. _They're here._ She watched as Sunstar led the patrol into the clearing, surprised by how small their representation was. Murmuring a quick, "Excuse me," to Leopardfur and the WindClan warriors, Bluefur started weaving through the crowd. She caught sight of Whitestorm almost instantly.

"Whitestorm!" She called, beckoning him with her ears and tail. Whitestorm gave another cat a nudge, and the two approached her. Bluefur's spirit soared. "Rosetail…!" She rushed forward and pressed her muzzle to her friend's, then touched noses with Whitestorm. "It's so good to see you both."

"It's good to see you, too, Bluefur," Rosetail purred. Her eyes were bright with curiosity. "So Whitestorm tells me your kits have been apprenticed? Are any of them here?"

"Two," Bluefur didn't try to cover the pride in her voice. "I'll introduce you, wait here. I'll be back before you can say 'minnow.'" Bluefur disappeared into the crowd again, seeking out her kits. She caught sight of Graypool, who was talking with a WindClan queen, Shiverpaw at her shoulder. The small apprentice seemed to be trying to avoid every cat's gaze, keeping her eyes downcast and her tail curled defensively at her side.

"Fire."

The fur along Bluefur's spine bristled, and she whipped around to face Goosefeather's familiar leer. "Goosefeather, I don't…"

The old tom laughed, shaking his head. "Bluefur, Bluefur. I was wrong, you know."

"I _know_ ," the blue-gray warrior hissed.

Between one breath and the next, Goosefeather's demeanor darkened. His eyes glazed as he leaned closer. "You are not fire," he whispered, bitter amusement dancing along his tongue. "But the fire lives on. Only embers now, but growing. Kindling. And one day water will not be enough to contain it. And when that day comes, fire will blaze through the forest, but Bluefur, I wonder, as StarClan cannot see yet—will this fire save it, or destroy it?"

"Goosefeather, that's enough."

Bluefur felt something brush her flank. She vaguely recognized Featherwhisker's sweet, herbal scent, but she couldn't move so much as a whisker. She was frozen in place, watching in Goosefeather's dark eyes as a fire leapt across the river and consumed the entire forest, leaving nothing in its wake but ashes.

"Bluefur?" A gentle nudge freed her from the spell, and she blinked rapidly. Gossefeather was gone. Featherwhisker was beside her, his eyes dark with concern. "I'm sorry about that. He's… not been himself since you left ThunderClan."

Bluefur swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "I see." She managed to rasp.

"Ah, there's a puddle over there," Featherwhisker herded her towards it like a frightened kit. Shrugging the medicine cat away, Bluefur crouched and lapped at the cool water. When she sat up again, Featherwhisker was bowing his head apologetically. "I'm sorry again, Bluefur. I'm really glad to see that you're doing well."

Before she could answer, the medicine cat turned and padded briskly away—probably to save another cat from Goosefeather. Bluefur was in a daze as she padded to Graypool's side.

"Can I borrow your apprentice?" She tried to force an edge of cheer into her voice. "There's someone I'd like to introduce her to."

Graypool let out a hum of understanding. "She's all yours."

Shiverpaw glanced curiously up at Bluefur. "Someone you'd like me to meet?"

"Yes," Bluefur purred. She caught sight of Sorrelpaw and called him to her. He bounded over quickly.

"Yes?" He was full of a breathless excitement.

"Come with me for a moment." She led her kits back to Whitestorm and Rosetail, pleased to see they had waited. "I'm sorry about that," she apologized quietly. "Goosefeather caught me and…" She shook her head firmly. "Never mind that. Whitestorm, Rosetail, these are two of my kits. Sorrelpaw and Shiverpaw."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Whitestorm purred.

Shiverpaw pressed against Bluefur's flank, shying away from the ThunderClan warriors' curious gazes and warm greetings. Sorrelpaw tilted his chin up proudly though.

"We've only been training for a moon," he boasted.

"A moon and already at a Gathering?" Rosetail gasped with mock-awe. "You must be training very hard."

Whitestorm and Bluefur shared an amused glance, their whiskers twitching.

"They're a lot like you," the big white warrior finally murmured. "And a lot like Oakheart, too."

"Yes," Bluefur agreed affectionately. "It's a shame you couldn't meet Stonepaw and Mistypaw tonight. They look much more like me…"

ShadowClan arrived with a caterwaul from Raggedstar as he launched into the clearing and immediately up onto the Great Rock. News was shared, the sky clear and bright, but Bluefur hardly heard it as her wandering gaze met Goosefeather's again.

 _The fire lives on. Only embers now, but growing._ His words echoed in her head. _That fire will blaze through the forest, but… the question is… Will it save it, or destroy it?_

As if she were diving, Bluefur felt her next thought crash into her like a wall of cold water, chilling her to the very bone.

 _He means my kits._

* * *

"This wasn't meant to happen."

A gray and white she-cat bowed her head. "I know."

The first cat to speak, with white fur and a scowl on her flattened muzzle, narrowed her eyes. "And yet…"

"Cloudberry, have faith." The gray and white she-cat stretched out a forepaw in a gesture of comfort. Stars glittered in her eyes, clung to her pelt like a fine mist. "They've all been given fitting mentors, and…"

"And _what_ Milkfur?" Cloudberry lashed her tail, sending moonlight scattering from the grass. "Those kits should never have been born—even if he misinterprets every single other sign we send, for _once_ Goosefeather has it right. Bluefur was to be our fire. She was to become deputy, then leader, and those kits would never have been a problem. But now…"

"Thistleclaw's path is a bloody one," Milkfur admitted regretfully, watching as the arrogant tom was greeted by all the gathered Clans as the new deputy of ThunderClan. "But there _is_ hope, for your Clan and for mine."

"This is bigger than our Clans," Cloudberry growled. "Broken, shared between four kits, the fire that would have once saved the forest may now leave it as not but a pawful of ashes. And all we can do is wait and see." With her ears flattened bitterly, Cloudberry whipped around and stalked away. Milkfur lingered, watching as RiverClan grouped up to leave the Gathering.

 _"Kindling embers turn to flame, roused by brazen rapids,"_ she whispered, _"Fire alone can save our Clan… and fire alone can destroy it."_

 ** _~Fin._**

* * *

 **Well you guys... That's it. This is the official end of "Fire Alone."**

 **So what do you think? I am already working on the sequel, which will follow Oakheart's and Bluefur's kits as they grow into their destinies, and I would love to hear any and all feedback not only on Fire Alone, but on what you think might come about in the next installment!**

 **I appreciate you all so much, and I hope the sequel will get just as much love and support from you guys!**

 **Love you guys!**

* * *

 **EDIT: THE SECOND INSTALLMENT IS UP!**

 **If you loved (or even just kinda liked) Fire Alone and would like to read what happens next, check out part two: "Fire Rising"**


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